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The Arizona Diamondbacks are heading into the 2025 season with a new first baseman. Following the departure of Christian Walker in the offseason, the Diamondbacks will have Josh Naylor replacing the three-time Gold Glove winner at first base.
Naylor arrived in Arizona after the Cleveland Guardians traded him to the Snakes for Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance draft pick in December. The Diamondbacks announced their new first baseman in an Instagram post on Monday.
"1B is here," Diamondbacks captioned the post.
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Following the announcement, Naylor's newly wed wife Chantel Collado reacted with a four-word message.
"Same player, new team," Chantel captioned her Instagram story.
Josh Naylor married Chantel in January following his trade from the Guardians. They exchanged vows in a church and celebrated with a wedding reception in Ontario, Canada.
Josh Naylor has big shoes to fill, replacing Christian Walker in Arizona
Josh Naylor will have his work cut out for the season as he will be replacing a solid defense presence in Christian Walker at first base. The three-time Gold Glove winner was also a consistent presence at the plate with 36,33 and 26 home runs in his last three seasons for the team.
However, Naylor has arrived in Arizona after earning his first All-Star nod last year with the Guardians. He had a career-high 31 home runs with 108 RBIs in 2024. The All-Star first baseman understands the task he has heading into the 2025 season, replacing Walker.
“He’s a phenomenal player.’’ Naylor said on Monday, “ I know he was a popular leader, too. I would love to fill that role and step in those shoes and become that leader that he was in the locker room. Maybe a little bit of a voice and players that someone could come to in confidence and talk to when things are going rough or whatever, just be a good friend."
The Guardians had a stellar run last season, surprising everyone by making it to the American League Championship Series. They were knocked out of the postseason by the New York Yankees and the Guardians decided to shed payroll by trading Josh Naylor.
The 27-year-old "had a feeling" that he would be traded in the offseason. He said he is used to changing organizations, believing it is part of the business.
