Guardians trade deadline deal with Brewers already looks better thanks to Milwaukee’s quick pivot

On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians repurposed two players on the periphery of their roster by dealing Bo Naylor and Codi Heuer to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Craig Yoho and Blake Perkins. 

It wasn’t the most exciting deal of the deadline (all four players were at Triple-A at the time it was made), but it gave both teams a chance to get something for players who previously looked like sunk costs. 

But that deal ended up looking a little better on Monday when the Brewers traded Heuer to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations at the trade deadline buzzer. 

Heuer never ended up appearing in an affiliated game with the Brewers, who sent him to Triple-A after acquiring him from Cleveland. 

While it seemed clear that Naylor was the prize of this trade for the Brewers, it seemed like Heuer was going to fit into the Brewers’ bullpen in some capacity. But now he’s headed to the Orioles, where he’ll likely work as a depth arm for former Guardians coach Craig Albernaz. 

Codi Heuer’s tenure with the Brewers didn’t last long 

The Guardians signed Heuer to a minor league contract in the offseason, and he made his season debut in the middle of May. He ended up appearing in eight games with Cleveland and posted a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings along with a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings at Triple-A. 

The mere fact that Heuer’s thrown 35 innings across both levels considering he missed nearly all of 2021 through 2025 due to Tommy John surgery and a broken elbow. He threw 4 2/3 big league innings last year with the Tigers and Rangers. 

Perhaps the biggest reason his time with the Brewers was so short was due to MIlwaukee adding pitchers Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela at the trade deadline.

The Brewers didn’t deal any players from their 40-man roster in either of their deals to acquire those pitchers, so Heuer and fellow reliever Carlos Rodriguez were jettisoned off the roster to make room. 

The good news for Heuer is that he should get plenty of opportunities to pitch with the Orioles, who just traded away pitchers Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer and have closer Ryan Helsley on the injured list. 

Heuer still has a minor league option remaining, so the Orioles will be able to move him between MLB and the minors with no issue. 

Meanwhile, Yoho has already thrown a scoreless inning with the Guardians and has a great chance to be a bullpen staple in Cleveland for years to come. 

Both Perkins and Naylor are with their respective Triple-A clubs, but they should both earn big league call-ups before the end of the season. 

Heuer may not have done much with the Guardians, but Cleveland’s front office was able to use him to help add two players who could help Cleveland in years to come. 

And even if Perkins or Yoho don’t end up doing much in Cleveland, it’ll be more than what Heuer did with the Brewers.

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