Red Sox Predicted to Trade for Former All-Star First Baseman Josh Naylor at Deadline

Red Sox Predicted to Trade for Former All-Star First Baseman Josh Naylor at Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

With the 2025 MLB trade deadline officially one week away, conversations should begin to get more intense, and moves should start to be made. The Boston Red Sox will be in the market for starting pitching, bullpen arms, and a first baseman.

CBS Sports' Dayn Perry predicted the Red Sox would find their answer at first base in a trade for a former All-Star. Perry predicted the Red Sox would trade for Arizona Diamondbacks' first baseman Josh Naylor.

"Sox first basemen this season have combined for a sub-.700 OPS. That's far from optimal production from a bat-first position. With Triston Casas out for the season because of a knee injury, Boston badly needs an upgrade at the position," Perry wrote. "Ideally, they'll get one who bats lefty, since Romy Gonzalez has been capable as the right-handed half of a post-Casas platoon. That brings us to Naylor."

JOSH NAYLOR THE BEAUTIFUL MAN THAT YOU ARE pic.twitter.com/U52QZyNEE0

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 10, 2025

Naylor has quietly been extremely productive this season. After making his first All-Star game in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians, he's backed it up with another strong year. The first baseman is hitting .292 with an .807 OPS.

He's hit 11 home runs and has 59 RBI to go with 37 walks and just 49 strikeouts. He holds an impressive 124 OPS+ on the season and has a career-high 11 stolen bases.

The largest question that remains is whether the Diamondbacks will give in and be sellers at the deadline. Arizona swept the St. Louis Cardinals out of the All-Star break, but then was just swept by the Houston Astros. The Diamondbacks currently sit at 50-53, 10 games back in their division and 5.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race.

The next week will be a telling sign as they have a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers before the trade deadline.

"If they are open for business, then the Sox should put in a call about Naylor. For his career, the 28-year-old Naylor has an OPS+ of 144 and an .884 OPS against right-handed pitching. As well, he's in his walk year," Perry wrote. "As a rental player, Naylor will command a lower cost in trade, and the Sox can also bid him adieu before Casas' return from injury in 2026. He checks a lot of boxes for Boston, and he'll allow their first basemen to not bat ninth quite so often."

After finishing the first half blistering hot, the Red Sox have lost both series coming out of the All-Star break, scoring four runs combined in the four losses. However, Boston has played two of the top five teams in the NL. But, it doesn't get any easier. After facing the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, the Red Sox begin a series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.