4 under-the-radar trade candidates Yankees should pursue this offseason

Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians

Forget the baby-rocking for a minute. That was all in good fun, and even Naylor seemed to enjoy the teasing. We're talking about one of the undisputed clutch bats in the game today, someone who always seems to find himself involved in crucial moments (especially when extra innings arrive). This is a player who accepts the heat and thrives while being baked by it. This is a 26-year-old lefty first baseman/DH who's being pushed out of Cleveland by prospect Kyle Manzardo. This is someone who's under team control through 2025. This is a wonderful option, in case of Anthony Rizzo-related emergency.

Naylor broke out last season, elevating himself from agitator to constant threat. His .308 average would've paced the Yankees. His 133 OPS+ was upper-echelon. His 17 homers were solid, though if he'd played all 162 games in Yankee Stadium, his expected home run total would've been 23. Who knows how much the short porch would aid his scorching line drives, but ... it never hurt a lefty.

Naylor's a free swinger and awful chaser (fourth percentile), but somehow also never strikes out (94th percentile K%). He's a walking quirk and a pleasure to have in class, if you like to see competitive fire in your dugout rather than your opponent's. Boston would despise this man, and they'd have every reason to.

First base isn't exactly a vacancy for the Yankees, but it could easily become one by mid-March, and failing to plan is planning to fail. The Yanks could certainly find use for both Rizzo and Naylor, and the more offensive weapons a down-in-the-dumps team acquires, the better.