The Brewers made their move behind the plate before the MLB trade deadline, landing catcher Bo Naylor from the Guardians in a deal that sends right-handed reliever Craig Yoho to Cleveland, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Milwaukee is taking a swing on upside here. Naylor, a former first-round pick, has already shown real pop at the big league level, even if the 2026 season has gone sideways.
He was hitting just .143 with two home runs, seven RBIs and a .438 OPS for Cleveland before the Guardians sent him to the minor leagues. Still, the Brewers are betting a fresh start can help the 26-year-old get back to the version of himself that once looked like a real part of Cleveland’s future.
The raw career numbers explain why Milwaukee was willing to make the bet. In 346 major league games, Naylor has 40 home runs and 125 RBIs, plus 47 doubles and 122 runs scored in 1,003 career at-bats. The left-handed hitter also gives the Brewers another option from that side of the plate, which matters when they’re sorting out lineup construction and the catching situation.
Cleveland drafted Naylor No. 29 overall in 2018, and he later joined his older brother, Josh Naylor, in the Guardians’ lineup. His best season came in 2024, when he hit 13 home runs and drove in 39 runs over 123 games. Even with a low batting average, his power and patience gave the Guardians reason to believe he could grow into an above-average offensive catcher.
That growth never really held over the past two seasons, and Milwaukee is buying low on a player who remains under club control and will not turn 27 until February. The Brewers have built a reputation for finding value in players who have slipped elsewhere, and Naylor is another chance to try that formula again.
Cleveland, meanwhile, gets a bullpen piece in Yoho. The 25-year-old right-hander features a deceptive changeup and now gives the Guardians another arm to work with out of the bullpen. Milwaukee took Yoho in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and he moved quickly through the organization’s minor league system before becoming one of its more intriguing relief prospects.
For the Guardians, the deal ends an uneven run with Naylor. For the Brewers, it’s a calculated gamble on a catcher whose stock has fallen, but whose power and on-base potential still give the move a path to paying off.
He doesn’t have to be a star for this to matter. If Milwaukee can help him find some of that earlier form, it may have landed a useful long-term piece at a modest price.
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For a club trying to piece together innings and shorten the distance from starter to endgame, the attraction is obvious. The shuffle also shows how much the Brewers value getting immediate pitching support without waiting on a prospect timeline, even if it costs them two outfielders who had been part of the organizations future depth. What comes next is the part Milwaukee will care about most: whether the new arrivals can settle in quickly enough to help right away. [Read more 🡒]