Naylor brothers enjoying happy family reunion with Guardians | Jeff Schudel
Oct. 8—Bo Naylor was projected to do great things the day the Indians selected the 18-year-old catcher from St. Joan of Arc High School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, in the first round of the 2018 draft. And like all players taken in that time frame, Naylor was without a team in 2020 because all minor-league baseball was wiped out by COVID-19.
On Aug. 31, 2020, Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti made a trade with the San Diego Padres that helped the Guardians win the A.L. Central Division championship this year. Antonetti shipped starting pitcher Mike Clevinger plus outfielder Greg Allen to the Padres and in return got pitcher Cal Quantriil, catcher Austin Hedges, infielder Owen Miller, infielder Gabriel Arias, left-handed pitcher Joey Cantillo — and Bo's older brother, Josh Naylor.
Bo Naylor was promoted from Triple-A Columbus to the Guardians on Oct. 1. Now the Naylor brothers are trying to help bring a World Series championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1948.
"It's amazing. It's awesome," Bo Naylor said Oct. 7 after the Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of their AL wild card series. "I feel like it's been a long time that we talked about it and planned for it. Now that it's here, it's almost surreal. It's almost hard to take in."
The Naylor brothers have their dressing stalls at opposite ends of the Guardians' clubhouse. Bo is 22. He doesn't need his 25-year-old brother to hold his hand.
"He tries not to do too much," Bo said. "He lets me insert myself with the guys. But I know I have him whenever I need advice or someone to go to. I can't thank him enough for that."
Bo learned Josh had been traded from their mother, Jenice. He said he was sleeping when she called with the news.
"My mom called me and said, 'Your brother's been traded,'" Bo said. "I couldn't think of what team it could be. Cleveland wasn't in my mind at the time. I said 'To who?' She said 'Cleveland.' I was shocked and just sat there for a second and thought, 'There's no way!' From then on, I called him immediately and told him how amazing the organization is and how well they treat their players and that he could expect to be part of a really good group."
Bo Naylor did not play in the first game of the best-of-three series with the Rays. Hedges and Luke Maile are ahead of him as catchers. Bo Naylor was 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in five regular season games after being called up. If he sees any playing time in the postseason it would likely be because of an injury situation or a late-inning defensive replacement if Maile starts a playoff game.
Josh Naylor was 1-for-3 and played first base in Game 1. He played first base and hit clean-up in Game 2.
"We always wanted to play together. I think we've played one game together in our lifetime," Josh said before the series with the Rays began. "It's almost — I can't really describe the feeling of it. But again, we worked hard our whole lives to get to the big leagues and to be here together now, it's surreal.
"He's so accepted and so loved here already, it's beautiful to see. I try to be invisible so he doesn't feel pressure with me being here."
Josh Naylor is arbitration eligible in 2023. He won't become a free agent until 2026.
Bo's real first name is Noah. His countdown to free agency hasn't even begun. There are many chapters in the Josh and Bo Naylor saga to be written before the story is concluded.
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