Bo Naylor Traded to Brewers as Guardians Land Reliever Craig Yoho and Outfielder Blake Perkins

The Cleveland Guardians made their first move of the 2026 trade deadline period on Saturday, sending catcher Bo Naylor and right-handed reliever Codi Heuer to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Blake Perkins and right-handed reliever Craig Yoho. The deal, first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, was confirmed by the Guardians in a social media post at 9:45 a.m. and comes just two days ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.

Naylor, a 26-year-old Canadian catcher, had been with the Guardians organization since being drafted in 2018 and made his big league debut in 2022. He struggled to find consistency in 2026, batting just .143 with two home runs and seven RBI across 84 plate appearances before being optioned to Triple-A Columbus on May 9 to make room for newly acquired catcher Patrick Bailey. At Columbus, Naylor rebounded somewhat, hitting .235 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 17 runs scored in 85 at-bats. For his career, Naylor carries a .199 batting average with 40 home runs and 125 RBI in parts of five MLB seasons, along with a reputation as a switch-hitter with above-average power for the position and a strong defensive track record behind the plate.

What the Guardians Are Getting Back

Cleveland’s return centers on two players who have already spent time on Milwaukee’s active roster this season. Perkins, a 29-year-old switch-hitting outfielder, has been with the Brewers organization for four seasons, compiling 14 home runs, 93 RBI, 38 stolen bases and 3.4 bWAR across 770 career at-bats. His 2026 season has been a struggle at the plate, as he hit .157 with a .500 OPS in 55 games and 83 at-bats over three separate stints with Milwaukee, managing just one home run, 11 RBI and three stolen bases. Perkins’ value to a roster comes less from his bat and more from his speed and defensive range in center field, along with his ability to impact games off the bench.

Yoho, meanwhile, arrives as the more immediately intriguing piece for Cleveland’s bullpen. In 15 appearances with the Brewers this season, the right-hander went 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA, allowing just nine hits over 20 innings while striking out 18 batters. He was especially sharp after returning for his third stint with Milwaukee on July 4, posting a 1.93 ERA across 10 July appearances with nine scoreless outings in that stretch. At Triple-A Nashville, Yoho was even more dominant, running a 0.78 ERA across 19 games. That combination of swing-and-miss stuff and a proven ability to get big league hitters out makes him a candidate to step directly into Cleveland’s relief mix down the stretch.

Roster Fallout and What Comes Next

Both Naylor and Heuer have been assigned to Triple-A Nashville by the Brewers, while it remains unclear exactly where Yoho and Perkins will report for Cleveland. The Guardians have said the moves will not affect their 26-man roster for that night’s scheduled game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, suggesting both new additions will need at least a brief transition before joining the active roster.

For Milwaukee, adding Naylor gives the organization a former everyday catcher with pedigree and power upside who may benefit from a change of scenery after being squeezed out of playing time in Cleveland. The Brewers also add a bullpen piece in Heuer who profiles as organizational relief depth. For the Guardians, the return of Perkins and Yoho reflects a front office prioritizing a big league-ready reliever and a versatile, athletic outfielder over waiting on Naylor’s bat to fully develop. With the August 3 deadline still two days away, bettors tracking how contenders are reshaping their rosters can find updated lines through a DraftKings promo code or a FanDuel promo code as deadline deals continue to shift both teams’ odds for the stretch run.

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