The obvious headline from the Cleveland Guardians’ recent trade with the Milwaukee Brewers was the end of Bo Naylor’s time with the organization. In the span of four months, Naylor went from a potential offensive solution to the minor leagues to another team altogether.
It was quite a demise for their one-time catcher of the future. But in the deal, the Guardians may have acquired an asset that will help their bullpen for years to come.
Insider Zack Meisel reveals what the Guardians saw in new reliever Craig Yoho, who fits their profile of successful pitchers.
“As for Yoho, the Guardians have been stockpiling pitchers with elite extension. Yoho ranks in the 93rd percentile in that category. Cade Smith, for instance, ranks in the 98th percentile, and hitters will tell you it makes his 97 mph heater look more like 100 mph. They have less time to decide whether to swing. Yoho pairs his fastball with a changeup that has limited hitters to a .103 average and .205 slugging percentage this season,” Meisel wrote.
Yoho was added along with outfielder Blake Perkins in the deal that sent Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to Milwaukee. The 26-year-old right-hander has already made a good first impression, throwing a scoreless inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a contentious 5-0 win on Sunday.
At 6-foot-2, 237 pounds, Yoho has an interesting background for a pitcher. He was a college shortstop until injuries sidelined him for almost three years. When he returned, he came back as a pitcher, and he performed well enough to become an eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
He made a rapid rise to his major league debut in April of last season. This year, he appeared in 15 games for the Brewers, with a 3.15 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 18 strikeouts and eight walks in 20.0 innings, relying on an elite changeup. It is helped by a fastball that looks much quicker based on the elite extension that attracted the Guardians in the first place.
Yoho is also under the Guardians’ control through the 2031 season. If the organization’s highly regarded pitching development program can get him to be even better over time, this trade could turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the 2026 deadline.
Manager Stephen Vogt gave Yoho a simple message after his arrival, and he could pay significant dividends if his work out of the bullpen helps Cleveland rally for its third straight AL Central title.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Gets Honest About Craig Yoho's Guardians Debut
