Austin

Hedges

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.

Hedges was hit on the right hand by a pitch. If he needs to on the IL, the Guardians could bring back Jonathan Rodriguez or Petey Halpin. They already have David Fry to use as their backup catcher.

Heyman adds that Hedges will receive $500,000 in performance-based incentives. The 33-year-old backstop will return for his sixth season in Cleveland. He’s been a complete non-factor at the plate, but he’s remains a sublime defender from a pitch-framing perspective. He’ll serve as Bo Naylor’s primary caddy next season.

The Guardians will be going with their typical lineup against left-handed pitching, which means Rodríguez will start in right field, with Jhonkensy Noel starting at first base, Austin Hedges catching, and Angel Martinez in center field. Rodríguez is slashing .240/.309/.460 against lefties this season with two home runs in 55 plate appearances, so his presence doesn’t move the needle a huge amount.

In his 39th start of the season, Hedges finally got himself a multihit game. His last came nearly a year ago on Aug. 26, 2024 against the Royals. He deserved it, too, hitting balls 100.6, 106.3 and 108.6 mph tonight. He actually nearly had a third hit on the sac fly, though only because the center field tripped going after it before recovering. Hedges, hitting .143 this season, hasn’t had a three-game since he miraculously collected four hits on Aug. 18, 2019, his 27th birthday.

Hedges was officially activated prior to Friday’s series opener against the Mariners following a one-week stint on the concussion injured list. He’ll continue backing up starter Bo Naylor.

Nuñez is sent down, and this almost assuredly means that Austin Hedges will come off the concussion injured list before Friday’s game against the Mariners.

Hedges will be shelved for at least a couple of days as he works his way through the concussion protocol. Dom Nuñez was promoted from Triple-A Columbus on Friday to add depth behind the plate while Hedges is shelved.

The deal is now official. Hedges returns to Cleveland in a backup role to young starter Bo Naylor. The 32-year-old backstop remains a standout defender behind the dish, but he’s been a non-factor at the plate since entering the league back in 2015.

Financial terms are not yet available. Hedges is one of the worst hitters in baseball and registered just a .422 OPS in his 146 plate appearances for the Guardians in 2024, but that’s not why he’s returning. He’s well regarded as one of the better defenders behind the plate, and the 32-year-old will be the backup to Bo Naylor with some late-inning appearances in 2025.