The Cleveland Guardians have traded for switch-hitting catcher, Patrick Bailey from the San Francisco Giants.
The Guardians have sent left-handed Double-A pitching prospect, Matt Wilkinson, and the No. 29 overall selection (competitive balance pick) in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft to the Giants in return.
Bailey, 26, won’t be eligible for free agency until 2030, which also makes him attractive to Cleveland.
Wilkinson, 23, was a 10th round selection of the Guardians out of Central Arizona University in the 2023 draft.
To make room for Bailey on their 26-man roster, the Guardians sent catcher Bo Naylor to Triple-A Columbus.
About Cleveland Guardians Patrick Bailey:
Bailey is in his 4th year with the Giants.
Bailey is 6-0, 223 pounds, and is a tremendous defensive catcher.
Bailey has compiled a .224 career batting average, with 52 doubles, five triples, 22 home runs, 154 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 1,342 plate appearances, covering 383 games.
This year for San Francisco, Bailey is hitting .146/.213/.183/.396, with 0 doubles, 0 triples, one home run, and five RBIs in 89 plate appearances over 82 games.
MLBTraderumors.com indicates Bailey “won the last two Fielding Bible Awards and National League Gold Glove Awards, cementing his case as the sport’s best defensive catcher.”
So far this season, Bailey is not hitting. In fact, while the 2026 season is just a bit more than a month old, Bailey is hitting far below expectations.
The Giants will use a combination of Rule 5 selection Daniel Susac and young rookie prospect Jesus Rodriguez behind the plate. Susac is currently on the Injured List.
Bailey will join another defensive wizard, Austin Hedges, and utility catcher David Fry as part of a three-person catching trio for the Guardians.
Bailey has caught seven of 28 runners trying to steal this year for the Giants.
About San Francisco Giants Matt Wilkinson:
mlbpipeline.com did not list Matt Wilkinson among their Top 30 Cleveland Guardians prospects.
However, scouts have been impressed with Wilkinson so far in his brief minor league development.
At Double-A Akron, baseballreference.com lists Wilkinson having a 1-2 record, with a sparkling 1.59 ERA, and 0.91 WHIP in 28.1 innings, covering six starts.
Wilkinson is from Vancouver, Canada, and he pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, working in two games. None as a starter.
Scouts have been impressed with Wilkinson, although this year, he is walking an average of 6.8 hitters per nine innings, a spike of more than four walks per nine innings from his norm.
Wilkinson has spent parts of four seasons in minor league development, and by many scouts evaluations, he is due for a potential promotion to Triple-A.
About Cleveland Guardians Bo Naylor:
Left-handed hitting Bo Naylor is 5-9, 205 pounds.
Naylor, 26, is the younger brother of Seattle Mariners first baseman, Josh Naylor.
The Naylor brothers played together for the Guardians before Josh was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December 2024.
Bo Naylor has always shown potential as a left-handed hitter, but so far, his offensive upside hasn’t quite come to fruition.
This year, Naylor is hitting .143/.200/.238/.438, with two doubles, no triples, two home runs, and seven RBIs in 90 plate appearances, covering 28 games.
Naylor has lost playing time to both Hedges and Fry.
This old scout has seen louder contact from Naylor this year, but the results have been poor.
Defensively, Naylor still struggles at times blocking balls, and has inconsistent carry on his pop time and throws when trying to throw out potential base runners. He has caught only two of 21 potential base stealers.
It is hoped that a more relaxed environment at Triple-A will give Naylor an opportunity to work on all aspects of his game.
Conclusions:
The Guardians are currently built more on pitching and defense, than on offensive firepower.
Bailey offers the team superb defense behind the plate, and another potential right-handed bat against left-handed pitching, an area where the Guardians needed fortification.
Wilkinson, a big-bodied lefty, has an opportunity to become a solid major league quality starting pitcher.
Wilkinson needs to improve his command and control, but his repertoire and “stuff” clearly play.
The deal is surprising to this writer.
However, both the Guardians and Giants should benefit from an unexpected, out of the blue transaction.
Naylor is not reaching the potential and aspirations the team has held for him. Now, he can relax a bit, and get additional attention and instruction on his total game.
The Cleveland Guardians have obtained Patrick Bailey. Now it remains to be seen if there are other Cleveland moves in the near future.
