One of the most difficult things about acquiring players at the MLB trade deadline is the urgency that’s needed to get them to contribute right away. That’s especially true if the team, like the Cleveland Guardians, is involved in a tight playoff race.
There is virtually no time for manager Stephen Vogt to figure out what makes a player tick and how to get the best out of him. That is why Vogt tries to keep things simple as best he can.
Vogt recently revealed his message to new Guardians relief pitcher Craig Yoho, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I talked to [Brewers manager] Pat Murphy quite a bit about him,” Vogt said. “He loved him and raved about him as a pitcher and as a person. [Our message is,] ‘Go be yourself. Go pitch and help us get some outs.’”
Yoho arrived along with outfielder Blake Perkins in the trade that sent Cleveland catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to Milwaukee. The reliever seemed to take Vogt’s message to heart in his Guardians debut, pitching a scoreless seventh inning in their 5-0 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
That outing was particularly impressive as it came after a benches-clearing altercation that preceded a long rain delay. It included a strikeout of Tim Tawa, who ignited the hostilities when he tried to bunt to ruin Gavin Williams’ bid for a perfect game.
Yoho is likely to face many more pressure-packed situations coming out of the Guardians bullpen. But based on the resilience he’s shown in his career to date, he should be able to handle it.
According to MLB.com, as a former shortstop, Yoho did not become a pitcher until 2023, which was after he spent almost three years on the sidelines in college because of injuries, including Tommy John and knee surgeries. An eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 26-year-old right-hander made his major league debut last season and appeared in eight games.
This season, in 15 games for Milwaukee, he had a 3.15 ERA with an 0.85 WHIP and finished six games in his 20.0 innings. Relying on his impressive changeup, he allowed nine hits and struck out 18 with eight walks.
Now, he will try to heed Vogt’s request and get the Guardians some valuable outs over the final two months of the campaign.
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