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Guardians Use Draft Pick From Josh Naylor Trade On Fascinating Pitcher
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view of the stage before the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Guardians Use Draft Pick From Josh Naylor Trade On Fascinating Pitcher

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated Jul 13, 2025 10:45 PM ET

One of the biggest moves the Cleveland Guardians made last offseason was trading Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Slade Cecconi and a Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick.

Cecconi has become a solid member of Cleveland's rotation during the first half of the season, but the final return of the trade wasn't complete until Sunday night when the Guardians selected RHP Will Hynes with the No. 70 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Hynes is an 18-year-old out of Larne Park in Ontario, Canada. He's young, but has a ton of potential to be an ace of a big league rotation at the big league level.

The right-handed pitcher has a fastball that already is in the low-90s, and he has also developed two solid offspeed pitches in a slider and a changeup.

Tyler Kotila of Perfect Game noted that, "Hynes mixes his pitches well and does a good job finding ways to beat hitters with good sequencing & feel to induce the swing-and-miss. He has high-level stuff and uses it well."

The Guardians have a reputation for having one of the best pitching development systems in Major League Baseball.

With the natural talent and skillset that Hynes already possesses, and the pitching coaches Cleveland has throughout the organization, the talent for Hynes is off the charts.

Many fans had hoped that the Guardians would receive immediate help for their big league roster when they traded Naylor away.

In a way, they have gotten that with Cecconi, and now they're also adding an arm for the future with the selection of Hynes.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage


This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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