This Guardians-Yankees trade would pair Gerrit Cole with a longtime nemesis

The New York Yankees declined the club option attached to their first baseman Anthony Rizzo's contract this offseason. Now, they're tasked with replacing Rizzo with another first baseman, preferably one that can slug 30 home runs per year.

Believe it or not, one of the best options on the market has quite the history with the Yankees and their ace Gerrit Cole. It's Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians.

Naylor and Cole go way back. In the 2022 ALDS, Naylor homered off Cole and celebrated with a "rock the baby" arm motion as he rounded the bases. New York took note of this and proceeded to troll Naylor and the Guardians after winning the series.

But now, Cole could end up teammates with Naylor if all goes right in New York. How ironic.

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A Yankees-Guardians trade that teams Gerrit Cole with Josh Naylor

But if the Yankees were to pair Cole and Naylor together, it would boost the slugging in the Bronx by quite a bit.

This trade would send both teams in the direction that they want to go in.

Cleveland has their first baseman of the future in Kyle Manzardo. Manzardo, 24, debuted this season but bounced between the big leagues and Triple-A. When he finds his footing in Cleveland, he's going to be a very dangerous bat for years to come, so the Guardians can afford to move Naylor for pitching.

Warren, 25, is the Yankees 5th ranked prospect. He's the team's top-ranked pitching prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and the right-hander has been good in his professional career. He struggled in five big league starts, but he still flashed major potential.

Vreiling, 24, is the Yankees' 28th-ranked prospect. The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher made 25 starts in Double-A this season, posting a 4.58 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He has a few decent offerings, but he's more of a lottery ticket prospect here.

Adding Naylor would be a huge move for the Yankees. Last year, Naylor slashed .243/.320/.456 with a career-high 31 home runs and 108 RBIs. He was named to his first career All-Star Game as well.

Adding Naylor to a lineup with Judge, Stanton and hopefully Juan Soto would be a dream come true for the Yankees.