Brewers Acquire Catcher Bo Naylor in Trade with Guardians

The Milwaukee Brewers, holding a narrow lead in the National League Central, have bolstered their roster by acquiring catcher Bo Naylor and relief pitcher Codi Heuer from the Cleveland Guardians in a two-for-two player exchange. Outfielder Blake Perkins and right-handed reliever Craig Yoho were sent to Cleveland in the deal. Both Naylor and Heuer have been assigned to Triple-A following the trade.

Naylor, who was ranked 64th on MLB.com's top 100 prospects list in 2023 and posted a respectable 121 OPS+ in 67 games that season, has seen a dramatic decline in performance. After taking over as the Guardians' primary catcher, his offensive numbers plummeted, with an OPS+ of just 23 this year. His defensive metrics have also suffered, recording a -3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and a -1 Fielding Runs Value (FRV).

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And coming into this stage of the season, you have to do any insurance. This trade gives us another layer of depth at the catcher position, and I think that's very important, especially at this time of the season.

Despite Naylor's struggles, Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold expressed continued interest in the 26-year-old. "We've always been interested in Bo," Arnold stated, emphasizing the need for depth at the catcher position, especially at this stage of the season. He highlighted Naylor's past potential and youth as key factors making him a suitable addition for the Brewers.

The Brewers also sent Perkins, a Gold Glove finalist in the past, who struggled to find consistent playing time over the last two seasons with OPS+ marks of 81 and 41. Yoho, once a top-30 prospect in the Brewers' system, has not fully realized his potential in MLB and found himself on the fringes of the bullpen after returning from injury. The Brewers currently hold a 68-41 record, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by only half a game for the best record in Major League Baseball.

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We've always been interested in Bo.