The Milwaukee Brewers added catching depth before the trade deadline, acquiring Bo Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians for right-handed reliever Craig Yoho, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
It’s a classic buy-low move on a former first-round pick who’s shown legitimate power but has struggled mightily this season. Naylor was hitting just .143 with two homers and a .438 OPS for Cleveland before getting sent down to the minors.
Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, though.
The 26-year-old lefty has 40 home runs and 125 RBIs across 346 major league games. His best season came in 2024 when he launched 13 homers and drove in 39 runs over 123 games. Cleveland took him with the No. 29 overall pick in 2018, and there was a time when he looked like a cornerstone piece alongside his older brother Josh.
That development has stalled over the past two seasons, which is exactly why Milwaukee sees an opportunity. Naylor won’t turn 27 until February and remains under club control. The Brewers have built their reputation on finding value in players who’ve fallen out of favor elsewhere.
The left-handed bat also gives Milwaukee additional lineup flexibility when managing their catching situation.
What makes this different is the Brewers don’t need Naylor to be an immediate star. If they can help him recover some of that power and on-base ability he’s shown before, they could have a useful long-term piece at a modest price.
Cleveland gets back Yoho, a 25-year-old righty with a deceptive changeup who could fit naturally with their pitcher-development system. The Guardians selected him in the eighth round of the 2023 draft, and he’s moved quickly through Milwaukee’s system to become one of their more interesting relief prospects.
From where I’m sitting, this makes sense for both sides. The Guardians get another potential bullpen weapon to add to their consistently strong relief corps. They’ve shown they can develop pitchers without breaking the bank on expensive outside additions.
For Milwaukee, it’s a calculated gamble on talent. Naylor’s value has dropped considerably, but the underlying skills are still there. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to unlock what made a player a first-round pick in the first place.
The trade essentially closes the book on Naylor’s uneven tenure in Cleveland while giving Milwaukee another chance to work their player development magic. That’s worked out pretty well for them before.
