CHICAGO – The Brewers activated left-handed reliever JoJo Romero from the 15-day injured list and called up catcher Bo Naylor from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, when the start of September meant active rosters expanded from 26 to 28.
The Romero move was a no-brainer, since the Brewers acquired him at the Trade Deadline from the Cardinals along with starter Dustin May for just this time of year. Romero spent the past two months recovering from an emergency appendectomy, and gives the Brewers another high-leverage left-hander alongside Aaron Ashby.
The position player move, however, involved some debate. The Brewers could have recalled outfielder Brandon Lockridge, whose speed and right-handed bat could have come in handy down the stretch, but instead they chose Naylor, another of Milwaukee’s Trade Deadline acquisitions from the Guardians.
Why Naylor? For one, joining the Brewers allows him to learn Milwaukee’s staff before the start of the postseason, just in case. It also allows the Brewers to get to know the 26-year-old ahead of this offseason, when the club faces a critical decision with All-Star catcher William Contreras.
Contreras and the Brewers avoided arbitration last winter with a one-year deal that included a $14.5 million club option for 2027. If the Brewers decline that option, Contreras would be arbitration-eligible one final time before reaching free agency at the conclusion of the 2027 season – barring changes to the system in collective bargaining negotiations.
If history is a guide, it means Contreras is more likely than not coming to the end of his tenure with the Brewers, which began with a three-team trade between the Brewers, Braves and A’s in December 2022 that sent Contreras from Atlanta to Milwaukee. In recent years the Brewers have traded Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams and Corbin Burnes when they were going into their final year of club control, though the Brewers did hang on to their last high-profile hitter in that position, shortstop Willy Adames, all the way through to free agency.
But if Contreras is moved, the Brewers would need to identify their next starting catcher. It was supposed to be top catching prospect Jeferson Quero, but injuries, starting with major shoulder surgery last year, has stalled him in the Minors. Now the Brewers have another candidate in Naylor, acquired from Cleveland for outfielder Blake Perkins and reliever Craig Yoho.
For Naylor, it’s a crash course on a new club.
“There’s a lot,” Naylor said. “You have to learn a new group of guys. New philosophies and ways of thinking. Create new [relationships]. Yeah, just take everything that comes with it. You can also view that as a blessing. I think that’s the type of approach I try to take with it. It’s a new group of guys, and guys that want to compete. You’ve seen that day in and day out with how this team has competed.”