The Cleveland Guardians Just Signaled Their Trade Deadline Intentions

After trading away Bo Naylor, the Cleveland Guardians signaled how they will treat this trade deadline.

Jul 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt points to the bullpen during a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians are on the board with their first trade ahead of Monday’s deadline.

On Saturday morning, the Guardians traded away catcher Bo Naylor and pitching prospect Codi Heuer to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for bullpen arm Craig Yoho and centerfielder Blake Perkins, who is hitting .157 in almost 90 plate appearances.

Yoho should be a welcomed addition to Cleveland’s shaky bullpen, which needed reinforcements at the deadline. The Guardians officially quit on Naylor, who struggled at the plate and behind the dish, being sent down to Triple-A Columbus following the team’s big trade for Patrick Bailey back in May.

On the surface, Heuer for Yoho is a victory for the Guardians on the bullpen front. The organization gave up on Naylor months ago, and Perkins isn’t much of an improvement offensively.

But this trade signals Cleveland’s trade deadline intentions.

They’re going to try and improve this roster, but don’t be surprised if that means selling off a few parts. 

Will the Guardians be surprise sellers?

Quietly drifting back to three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division, it’s fair if the Guardians wonder if they were overachievers early in the season.

The Guardians have one of the worst offenses in baseball this season by almost every statistical measurement. They’re near the bottom – or at the bottom – in team batting average, OPS and home runs.

Yet, it doesn’t seem like a big offensive jolt will be on the way to Cleveland this offseason.

Instead, don’t be surprised if the Guardians try to sell off some pieces to clear logjams at confusing positions. For example, first base remains a huge question mark for the Guardians. Kyle Manzardo showed some power against the Cincinnati Reds, but hasn’t been very good this year. Rhys Hoskins is a veteran, but his bat never followed him to Cleveland. And David Fry has struggled to reproduce the magic that earned him an All-Star spot a few years ago.

Gold Glove outfielder Steven Kwan turned around his season following a very slow start that resulted in Guardians manager Stephen Vogt pulling him out of the leadoff spot. Now that Kwan has found his bat again, could the Guardians look to move on?

He’s under contract through next season, and is still probably searching for a big pay day. That likely isn’t going to happen in Cleveland. So, could the Guardians end the Kwan era in the same fashion they waved the white flag on Naylor? If it means finding another promising bat or two, it could be worth entertaining.

The Guardians have established an identity for selling high on trade chips and getting back big prospect returns that impact the team for years to come. Everyone knows this team needs more offense and a better bullpen. That’s easier said than done, but by trading Naylor to the Brewers, the Guardians have signaled the strategic angle for how they’ll approach this deadline.