The Brewers kicked off trade deadline weekend by making a move aimed at catching depth, landing Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer from the Guardians in exchange for reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins on Saturday.
It’s a deal that fits a clear pattern around the league: teams taking swings on former top prospects who haven’t fully turned the corner yet. Naylor, once a Top 100 prospect and a first-round pick in 2018, has struggled to match the hype.
The 26-year-old has hit .199 across 1,100-plus plate appearances in parts of five big-league seasons and was optioned to Triple-A in May. Even so, Milwaukee’s catching picture already includes All-Star William Contreras and backup Gary Sánchez, so Naylor arrives as another layer of insurance behind the plate.
Heuer is part of the return as well, and his path has been a winding one since he was the non-Nick-Madrigal piece in the Craig Kimbrel trade between the Cubs and White Sox at the 2021 deadline. Injuries slowed him badly, with Tommy John surgery and then an elbow fracture wiping out the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Over the last two years, he’s logged 14 1/3 big-league innings with the Rangers, Tigers and Guardians.
Both Naylor and Heuer were added to Milwaukee’s 40-man roster and assigned to Triple-A Nashville.
For Cleveland, the deal doesn’t appear to be the offense upgrade many expected the club to chase at the deadline, though that possibility still remains. Perkins gives the Guardians a center-field option with some real defensive value.
He was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 and has piled up 21 Defensive Runs Saved in 297 games over four seasons, but the bat has lagged behind at .223 with a .636 OPS. As a switch-hitter, he does bring some platoon appeal, with a career OPS that is nearly 100 points better against left-handers (.693) than right-handers (.602).
Yoho is the youngest and least experienced player in the swap. Since making his major league debut last April, the 26-year-old has thrown 28 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, striking out 25 and walking 17.
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Brewers May Be Trying Another Deadline Turnaround Fans Have Seen Before
The Brewers were active again at the deadline, working a four-player deal with Cleveland that added catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to a roster built around constant roster churn and opportunistic bets. In return, Milwaukee sent reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins to the Guardians, another reminder that this front office is rarely afraid to swap pieces if it thinks theres a path to squeezing more out of them.
Naylors arrival is the part that makes the move feel familiar to longtime Brewers watchers. He is at a similar stage in his career to Andrew Vaughn when Milwaukee brought him in previously, and the club has shown before that it believes a fresh setting can unlock a player it thinks still has room to grow. Both Naylor and Heuer were optioned to Triple-A after the trade, so the next phase of this move will play out away from the majors while the Brewers see whether another deadline swing can produce the kind of turnaround they have chased before. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Just Got Another Trade Deadline Twist In Relief Market
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For Brewers fans, it adds another layer to a market that has already been buzzing around relief help. Suter is heading to a contender for the stretch run, and there is at least one more twist to monitor if the schedule lines up, because the Brewers could see him again when the Braves come to town later this month. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Made A Staff Move Pat Murphy Really Needed
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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 🡒]