The Cleveland Guardians have acquired San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey in exchange for the No. 29 pick in this year’s MLB Draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson, the Guardians announced Saturday.
Cleveland has also optioned Bo Naylor to Triple-A Columbus. Naylor served as Cleveland’s starting backstop for 23 games this season. He’s slashing just .143/.200/.238.
Bailey, 26, has won a Gold Glove each of the past two seasons, but he hasn’t fared much better at the plate this season. In fact, his batting average sits at .146 at the moment, and he’s a career .224 hitter.
The trade arrives less than two months into the 2026 campaign. The Giants have struggled in the first season of the Tony Vitello era. They’re 15-23, including 2-8 in their past 10 games, and in last place in the NL West.
The Guardians, on the other hand, are atop the AL Central standings at 21-19. They’re now adding one of the best defensive catchers in the game.
Cleveland has been deploying both Naylor and Austin Hedges behind the plate. Back-to-back AL Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt, once a two-time All-Star catcher himself, has mostly opted for Hedges when the Guardians have faced a southpaw starter or when Parker Messick is on the bump for Cleveland, according to The Athletic.
Naylor hits lefty, and Hedges offers a right-handed bat. Granted it’s a small sample size, but, in 16 games this season, Hedges’ slash line of .306/.352/.449 has provided the Guardians more desirable offensive results. It’s important to note, however, that the veteran Hedges has a career batting average of .187.
As for Bailey, he made his MLB debut in 2023 for the Giants, who selected him 13th overall in the 2020 draft. He ranks in the 99th percentile in fielding run value, according to MLB.com.
The other player in Saturday’s deal, Wilkinson, is a 23-year-old lefty whom Cleveland drafted in the 10th round in 2023. Across six starts for Double-A Akron this year, he’s posted a 1.59 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.
The Giants will move forward with Wilkinson in their system and an additional pick in this year’s draft.
