Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges left in odd spot with Guardians' Patrick Bailey trade
Someone's job must be in jeopardy here.
Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges left in odd spot with Guardians' Patrick Bailey trade originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Cleveland Guardians traded for Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey on Saturday.
The deal, reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, is exciting on one hand -- but it's confusing once you consider Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges. Something's gotta give here, right? And that's before even considering that the Guardians have a quality catching prospect, Cooper Ingle, down at Triple-A.
BREAKING: The Cleveland Guardians are acquiring two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Patrick Bailey in a trade with the San Francisco Giants for the No. 29 pick in this year's draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, sources tell ESPN. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 9, 2026 MORE: This crazy Aaron Judge, Bo Bichette stat sums up Yankees, Mets seasons Bailey grades out incredibly well in defensive catching metrics, and although the switch-hitter's bat has struggled lately, this is more about adding his ability behind the plate.
And no one is hurt. Naylor is getting sent down to Triple-A, according to The Athletic's Zack Meisel . Admittedly, Naylor hasn't hit well this season after closing 2025 strong, but he did hit a three-run homer the other day, and his metrics suggest he'll at least partially turn it around at the plate.