Lincoln Zdunich
The San Francisco Giants made a major change to their roster, trading starting catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians. The move instantly makes room for the recently-called-up Jesus Rodriguez to catch for San Francisco.
For the Guards, it adds catching depth to a team that already had three starters in David Fry, Austin Hedges and Bo Naylor, but Naylor’s struggles this season forced him off the roster. He was sent down to Triple-A in an effort to upgrade Cleveland’s defensive issues behind the plate.
Is Bailey’s Best Behind Him?
It’s a fair question. The backstop, although sporting some of the best (if not the best) defensive metrics in the game, has never had a particularly potent bat. Bailey owns a career .224 batting average and has only slugged 22 home runs in three-plus seasons in MLB.
Here’s the thing, though. For a catcher, that’s not terrible production. That’s about average. For any other offensive player, that’s an awful mark. But catchers exist in a strange space in baseball. So long as their defense and their ability to manage a pitching staff are solid, most teams are willing to bite the bullet offensively.
That being said, it’s always great to have a catcher that can rake. Look at guys like Will Smith, Cal Raleigh or even former Giants catcher Buster Posey. They’re assets to their teams in more ways than just defense, but those are anomalies when it comes to the catching group in MLB.
Underlying Metrics Hint at Possible Turnaround
Bailey has long struggled at the plate, but behind the dish he is head-and-shoulders above everyone else. He’s won two gold gloves, owns a lifetime .992 fielding percentage and ranks in the 100th percentile via Statcast in framing and pop time (1.86 seconds). He is a premier catcher for whichever team he’s on.
But can he hit? It’s possible. Bailey’s been off to a dismal start with San Francisco this season. So far, he’s put up a .146/.213/.183 slash line. That’s resulted in a ridiculously bad 16 wRC+ (where 100 is average). But, despite that line, there’s hope here. Bailey’s weighted on base average (wOBA) is .190, but his expected one (xwOBA) is a more respectable .283 mark.
That’s a large gap. It’s possible that Cleveland is betting on Bailey’s bat to turn into what the underlying metrics say it should be. Either way, the club acquires an elite backstop to handle their pitching staff.
San Francisco Building for the Future
It’s safe to say that this season hasn’t started the best that it could have for the Giants. In the first year of new manager Tony Vitello’s tenure, the club owns a 15-23 record and are fifth in the National League West entering play on Saturday. It has been hard to watch a club as talented as this one struggle as much as they are.
But the recent call-up of top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez have marked a change for San Francisco. It seems that the group is now seeking to use this moment to allow their younger players time to acclimate to MLB. That could give them an advantage next season with Eldridge and Rodriguez returning to join the roster, barring an injury or unforeseen trade.
Wilkinson’s Tenure in Minors Offers Hope
It’s not a full rebuild, but it’s something like that. The trade of Bailey for Matt Wilkinson and a draft pick adds more to this reasoning. Wilkinson is a very talented young pitcher at the Double-A level in the minors. So far this season, he owns a 1.59 ERA across 28 1/3 innings. That performance could get him promoted to the Triple-A level in the Giants’ system soon.
It’s also possible that, if San Francisco falls even further out of contention, Wilkinson could be called up late in this season to get some big-league reps. The likelihood of that remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Regardless, it’s a move that should encourage Giants’ fans, not the other way around. This isn’t President of Baseball Operations’ Buster Posey saying he’s already given up on the year, it’s a move that feels prudent. San Francisco is looking to their younger players to step up and prove themselves. Only time will tell if that strategy pays off.
