Josh Naylor’s name popped back into the spotlight after a tense moment with the Guardians, and an old teammate has now dragged a long-buried story back into the open.
Naylor, now the Mariners’ first baseman and a former All-Star, former first-round pick and fan favorite in Seattle, has been traded four times in the last decade, an unusual path for a player with his résumé. His reputation came under fresh scrutiny during a June 28 game against Cleveland, when he and Guardians catcher Austin Hedges - teammates from 2019-24 after being traded together from San Diego to Cleveland in 2020 - got into a shouting match in the sixth inning of the Guardians’ 6-5 win. The exchange came after Naylor appeared to lean into a pitch to get hit on the arm.
The exact words Hedges said remain part of the debate. Did he tell Naylor “nobody asked you” or “nobody likes you?” Plenty of people assumed it was the latter, and Mariners fans quickly rushed to Naylor’s defense online.
But former teammate Stone Garrett was not among them.
On June 29, Garrett used his Instagram account to revisit an incident from their days in the Miami Marlins’ minor league system 10 years ago. Garrett, now retired, wrote: “Josh Naylor liked to play stupid games,” Garrett wrote. “Dude would come into our apartment (we were neighbors) with aerosol and lighters multiple times, that wasn’t his first time in our apartment with a butchers knife, the guy hid in my closet waiting for me to get home, when I went to hang my shirt up he jumped out with a knife pointed at me.
“It caught my thumb, sliced it wide open, I went to the ER (he waits for me when I get back, first question is ‘are you gonna press charges?’) next day coach holds team meeting saying front office wants to keep it hush hush lmao!!!
“I get surgery (he cut my nerve, still can’t feel my right thumb), he got suspended for one game lol, two weeks later he goes to the futures game and gets traded. He is the most psychotic person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Garrett’s account adds a new layer to what had already been reported about the 2016 incident. At the time, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “I don’t think you’ll see Josh Naylor goofing around with knives anymore.”
For now, that’s where the story stands.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Face A Heartbreaking Venezuela Crisis Close To Home
The earthquakes that rocked central Venezuela on June 24 have hit close to home for several Guardians players and staff, turning a distant disaster into something painfully personal. The twin quakes, measured at 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, caused widespread damage and casualties, and the impact has been felt deeply inside a clubhouse with strong ties to the country.
Brayan Roccio said his family and homes are OK, and Gabriel Arias also reported that all of his family is safe, even as they know many people whose families are missing or dead. MLB and the MLB Players Association have donated $1 million to the Red Cross for relief efforts, but for those with loved ones in the affected areas, the wait for better news remains the part they are still living through. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Let A Brutal Rookie Mistake Ruin A Winnable Loss
The Guardians had enough in front of them to keep this one tight for seven innings, with Tanner Bibee matching up against Jacob deGrom in a game that never really loosened up at Progressive Field. Cleveland even got an early lift from its offense, but deGrom settled in the way he often does and kept the pressure on a lineup that could not afford many wasted chances in a series opener already carrying some urgency.
Then the seventh inning turned a winnable loss into something messier. A rookie mistake on the infield opened the door for Texas to grab the lead, and the Rangers never gave it back, eventually finishing off a 4-2 win that sent Cleveland to a second straight defeat. For a club trying to squeeze value out of every close game, it was the kind of breakdown that lingers because the margin was so thin until it suddenly was not. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Are Split After Cooper Ingle's Costly Mistake
Cooper Ingles rough moment against Texas quickly turned into a familiar Cleveland debate: how much patience should a team show when a young player makes a costly mistake in the field? The throwing error in the outfield sparked some fan frustration and immediate calls for a benching, but both broadcaster Ken Carman and manager Vogt stepped in to defend him, stressing that Ingle is still learning the position and should not be defined by one play.
The bigger context matters here, because Ingle is not an outfielder by trade and has been asked to handle the spot so his bat can stay in the lineup. Cleveland has made clear it wants to keep developing him in that role rather than yank him after one bad night, which leaves the discussion less about punishment and more about how much growing pains the Guardians are willing to absorb while they keep his offense in play. [Read more 🡒]