Guardians’ Stephen Vogt drops brutally honest admission on Bo Naylor getting optioned

With the Cleveland Guardians making the trade for catcher Patrick Bailey, one event that followed the news was the demotion of Bo Naylor, who has struggled to start the 2026 season. As the Guardians made the move to option Naylor to the minor leagues, manager Stephen Vogt would get real about how he feels about the matter.

Vogt wouldn’t hold back his sadness from the move, even saying that it might be his “least favorite conversation I’ve had since getting this job” when talking to Naylore about the demotion.

“Bo is so special and has meant so much, you know, for me as a manager, being a former catcher, your catchers are your guys, and to have that conversation with Bo hurt,” Vogt said, via Mason Horodyski. “It was a really painful night. There’s no getting around that…we still believe Bo is going to be really good for us. We still believe that Bo has a bright future with us and but anytime you send somebody away from here, it’s the worst. But that one especially stung last night.”

"Probably my least favorite conversation I've had since getting this job. "

"Obviously the start to the year has been tough for Bo, but we continue to believe he has the ability to be a very good major league catcher."#Guardians Stephen Vogt and Chris Antonetti on optioning Bo… pic.twitter.com/FcaCtcD2no

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 9, 2026

The Guardians still have belief in Bo Naylor

So far this season, Naylor has recorded a .143 batting average to go along with two home runs and seven RBIs in 28 games, as the Guardians’ president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, shared the belief he still has in Naylor, despite the move.

“That was really hard. The start to the year has been tough for Bo, but we continue to believe he has the ability to be a very good major league catcher. So we have had a number of conversations with both, starting last night, continuing this morning, where we’re working with him to put a plan in place to help him get back on a path to being the productive player we know he’s capable of being,” Antonetti said.

At any rate, it remains to be seen when Naylor comes back to the majors with the team at a 21-19 record, which puts Cleveland first in the AL Central, as the series against the Minnesota Twins continues Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

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