Bo Naylor serving as Brewers’ 27th man

Naylor drilled a solo home run in the eighth inning to get the Brewers within one run. He also accounted for another run on a fielder’s choice earlier in the game. The 26-year-old is hitting just .154/.214/.275 on the season, but he may get a few more starts down the stretch with the Brewers wanting to rest William Contreras more often ahead of the playoffs.

The Brewers have been using Sunday afternoon games to get Contreras a breather recently and that trend will continue here. Bo Naylor will do the catching for the Brewers and will bat eighth against Reds’ right-hander Brady Singer.

It seems like Brandon Lockridge might be of more use to the Brewers than a third catcher, but this does free up Gary Sánchez to serve as a pinch-hitter on occasion. Naylor hit .283/.353/.550 in 14 games for Nashville. He hit .143/.200/.238 in 28 games for the Guardians before they gave up on him and acquired Patrick Bailey in May.

Naylor’s arrival seems to signal that Milwaukee is open to moving current backup catcher Gary Sánchez. The 26-year-old former top prospect never lived up to his potential in Cleveland, but he represents an interesting reclamation project for the Brewers behind starter William Contreras. He’s flashed some occasional over-the-fence pop, but needs to start making more frequent hard contact if he’s going to be a fantasy-relevant option in the future. It’s the type of challenge trade between two forward-thinking front offices that has a range of potential outcomes wider than the Grand Canyon.

This is a fascinating challenge trade between two savvy front offices and player development factories. FanSided’s Robert Murray adds that Blake Perkins is also in the deal. Naylor wound up back in the minors after Cleveland picked up defensive specialist Patrick Bailey from the Giants back in May. The 26-year-old former top prospect represents an interesting reclamation project of sorts for the Brewers as they’ll attempt to unlock his potential as more of a long-term gamble. It also seems to signal that they’re ready to move current backup catcher Gary Sánchez to another contender. Yoho has always been an intriguing relief prospect and he’s finally started to gain some traction at the highest level this season. He fortifies Cleveland’s bullpen as a solid middle relief arm, with the potential to grow into a more prominent fixture, for the next couple years.

The stunning early-season trade is now official. Bailey is universally regarded as one of the top defensive specialists in the entire game and should immediately strengthen Cleveland’s entire pitching staff. The 26-year-old backstop is a non-factor at the plate, but he’s a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and seems to fit the mold of what the Guardians front office is looking for in a defensive-oriented starting catcher. It’ll be Bo Naylor heading to Triple-A while veteran Austin Hedges sticks around as his caddy. Bailey’s departure means the Giants are going to roll with youngsters Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodríguez as their catching tandem moving forward.

Naylor’s departure coincides with defensive wizard Patrick Bailey’s arrival in Cleveland following a trade with the Giants. The 26-year-old backstop is hitting .143/.200/.238 with two homers in 28 games this season and has batted .199 in 346 games at the highest level since 2022. Veteran defensive specialist Austin Hedges will stick around in a backup role behind Bailey.

Naylor’s homer to seemingly put the game away in the seventh — it made the score 8-2 before the Royals were able bring it back to within three — was just his second of the year. It upped his RBI total from four to seven. Naylor actually has a greatly improved contact rate with pretty solid exit velocity numbers this year, but it’s produced only a .143/.200/.238 line in 90 plate appearances. One imagines he’s due for a run of good luck.

Ingle, who’s 24 years old, has now safely reached base in all 13 games he’s played this year while slashing .357/.617/.786. He has four home runs and 12 RBI on the season with an absurd 9/18 K/BB ratio. With Bo Naylor slashing .156/.224/.244 in 49 plate appearances and playing league-average defense, you have to wonder if the Guardians would consider making a change at some point.

Even with tough left-hander Cole Ragans on the mound, the Guardians will have DeLauter back in the lineup after one day off. He will hit fifth instead of second, but it’s nice to see that he is not in a strict platoon. It does seem like Kyle Manzardo and Bo Baylor are in strict platoons, as both of them will sit yet again with Austin Hedges catching and Rhys Hoskins at first base.