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CLEVELAND — With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Guardians swapped Yoho for Bo.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, the Guardians acquired right-handed relief pitcher Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for catcher Bo Naylor and right-handed relief pitcher Codi Heuer.
Here is what Guardians brass —president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and manager Stephen Vogt—said about the moves made the team has made thus far ahead of the MLB trade deadline, which is 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3:
The Guardians had been expected to trade Naylor since they optioned him to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers on May 9. On the same day, the Guardians acquired catcher Patrick Bailey in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. Heuer joined Naylor in Columbus on July 18, when the Guardians optioned the reliever to the Clippers.
Antonetti said there had been "some ongoing dialogue with Bo" trade scenarios since the Guardians executed the Bailey deal. The trade with the Brewers materialized in the last few days, Antonetti said.
"We're excited about adding two players to the organization that we think can help us," Antonetti said. "In Craig Yoho, we feel we've added another major league relief option to our mix. He complements our bullpen group pretty well. He's got a fastball with really good extension and a very unique changeup that plays exceptionally well against lefties and righties. And we think he can be a help for us down the stretch.
"Then in Blake Perkins, it's a switch hitter that's better from the right side of the plate that complements the position group we have. And he's a very good defender in both corners. [He] can run the bases as well. So he'll start in Triple-A for us, and then we'll see how things evolve over the next few days and over the next few weeks, but we feel that he's someone who can possibly help us."
Yoho, 26, spent time with the Brewers and Triple-A Nashville this season. With the Brewers this year, he posted a 2-0 record with a 3.15 ERA in 15 relief outings. He has pitched 20 innings, allowing nine hits, seven earned runs, eight walks and striking out 18.
Perkins, 29, played 55 games with the Brewers in 2026, slashing .157/.250/.258 with a .508 OPS in three stints with Milwaukee this year.
Guardians news: Cleveland trades Bo Naylor to Brewers for relief pitcher, outfielder
Vogt said he spoke with Brewers manager Pat Murphy by phone about Yoho and Perkins.
"Yoho, very good arm, really good changeup," Vogt said. "Murph described him as a competitor, somebody who's going to take the ball. And then same thing with Perkins, just a really good person, really good ballplayer, really good outfielder, baserunner, very good right-handed bat, more so than the left, but obviously can hit left-handed as well, bunt, steal. Again, just could not rave about the two people being better people, and so getting that from Murph was huge."
Vogt trusts Murphy. Vogt played for Murphy in 2017, when Vogt was with the Brewers and Murphy was their bench coach.
Earlier this year, the Guardians had expectations for the 26-year-old Naylor to produce a breakout season. Instead, in 28 games with Cleveland in 2026, Naylor hit just .143 with a .438 OPS.
"With Bo, I think we saw some progression over the last couple years, especially last September, and then just thought he had a really good winter, kind of came into spring looking really good and it just felt like it just never clicked," Vogt said. "There were some, whether it be approach or mechanical things that maybe [he was] just in between at times, but I don't really have a good explanation as to why it never took off the way we all felt it would. I mean, you see it at times. We saw it a lot at times that Bo could be a really good hitter, and I still believe that and hope that it comes out."
MLB news: Cleveland Guardians trade rumors, targets, live tracker
Like Vogt, Antonetti spoke to Naylor about the Guardians trading him.
"As I told Bo last night, there's not a better human being, better teammate, better worker or anyone who cares more than Bo, and I continue to believe that he is going to be a good major league player," Antonetti said. "We saw that at different points in time. He's always been invested in his teammates and the pitching staff and an incredible leader.
"But we weren't able to help him be as consistent offensively as we think he can be. And we scratched our heads a lot trying to figure out how do we do that, how do we support Bo better, but, in the end, we just couldn't help him unlock that consistency. So, I am hopeful. As I told him yesterday, I think he's going to a great organization. Hopefully Milwaukee can partner with him, give him a fresh set of eyes, some new voices, and I'm hoping he can kind of get his career going in the direction that he wants."
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians explain trade netting Craig Yoho, Blake Perkins from Brewers
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On Saturday, Aug. 1, the Guardians acquired right-handed relief pitcher Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for catcher Bo Naylor and right-handed relief pitcher Codi Heuer.
Here is what Guardians brass —president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and manager Stephen Vogt—said about the moves made the team has made thus far ahead of the MLB trade deadline, which is 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3:
Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti on trading Bo Naylor for Craig Yoho
The Guardians had been expected to trade Naylor since they optioned him to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers on May 9. On the same day, the Guardians acquired catcher Patrick Bailey in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. Heuer joined Naylor in Columbus on July 18, when the Guardians optioned the reliever to the Clippers.
Antonetti said there had been "some ongoing dialogue with Bo" trade scenarios since the Guardians executed the Bailey deal. The trade with the Brewers materialized in the last few days, Antonetti said.
"We're excited about adding two players to the organization that we think can help us," Antonetti said. "In Craig Yoho, we feel we've added another major league relief option to our mix. He complements our bullpen group pretty well. He's got a fastball with really good extension and a very unique changeup that plays exceptionally well against lefties and righties. And we think he can be a help for us down the stretch.
"Then in Blake Perkins, it's a switch hitter that's better from the right side of the plate that complements the position group we have. And he's a very good defender in both corners. [He] can run the bases as well. So he'll start in Triple-A for us, and then we'll see how things evolve over the next few days and over the next few weeks, but we feel that he's someone who can possibly help us."
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Stephen Vogt speaks with Brewers manager Pat Murphy about Craig Yoho and Blake Perkins
Yoho, 26, spent time with the Brewers and Triple-A Nashville this season. With the Brewers this year, he posted a 2-0 record with a 3.15 ERA in 15 relief outings. He has pitched 20 innings, allowing nine hits, seven earned runs, eight walks and striking out 18.
Perkins, 29, played 55 games with the Brewers in 2026, slashing .157/.250/.258 with a .508 OPS in three stints with Milwaukee this year.
Guardians news: Cleveland trades Bo Naylor to Brewers for relief pitcher, outfielder
Vogt said he spoke with Brewers manager Pat Murphy by phone about Yoho and Perkins.
"Yoho, very good arm, really good changeup," Vogt said. "Murph described him as a competitor, somebody who's going to take the ball. And then same thing with Perkins, just a really good person, really good ballplayer, really good outfielder, baserunner, very good right-handed bat, more so than the left, but obviously can hit left-handed as well, bunt, steal. Again, just could not rave about the two people being better people, and so getting that from Murph was huge."
Vogt trusts Murphy. Vogt played for Murphy in 2017, when Vogt was with the Brewers and Murphy was their bench coach.
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Why didn't Bo Naylor work out with the Guardians?
Earlier this year, the Guardians had expectations for the 26-year-old Naylor to produce a breakout season. Instead, in 28 games with Cleveland in 2026, Naylor hit just .143 with a .438 OPS.
"With Bo, I think we saw some progression over the last couple years, especially last September, and then just thought he had a really good winter, kind of came into spring looking really good and it just felt like it just never clicked," Vogt said. "There were some, whether it be approach or mechanical things that maybe [he was] just in between at times, but I don't really have a good explanation as to why it never took off the way we all felt it would. I mean, you see it at times. We saw it a lot at times that Bo could be a really good hitter, and I still believe that and hope that it comes out."
MLB news: Cleveland Guardians trade rumors, targets, live tracker
Like Vogt, Antonetti spoke to Naylor about the Guardians trading him.
"As I told Bo last night, there's not a better human being, better teammate, better worker or anyone who cares more than Bo, and I continue to believe that he is going to be a good major league player," Antonetti said. "We saw that at different points in time. He's always been invested in his teammates and the pitching staff and an incredible leader.
"But we weren't able to help him be as consistent offensively as we think he can be. And we scratched our heads a lot trying to figure out how do we do that, how do we support Bo better, but, in the end, we just couldn't help him unlock that consistency. So, I am hopeful. As I told him yesterday, I think he's going to a great organization. Hopefully Milwaukee can partner with him, give him a fresh set of eyes, some new voices, and I'm hoping he can kind of get his career going in the direction that he wants."
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians explain trade netting Craig Yoho, Blake Perkins from Brewers
Continue reading...
