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The Giants have traded catcher Patrick Bailey to the Guardians
The San Francisco Giants have gone ice cold early in the 2026 campaign, and in the blink of an eye, they have become one of the worst teams in the majors. With a 15-23 record, only the Los Angeles Angels have a worse record than the Giants, and it’s becoming abundantly clear that things need to change.
On Saturday morning, the front office made its first notable move in an effort to help the team get back on track. That move involved trading two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Patrick Bailey, who has not been particularly impressive to begin the year, to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for a unique return.
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.
Bailey was initially selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but he opted to play collegiate ball at NC State, and he ended up getting selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Bailey gradually worked his way up through the minors, and he found his way to the big leagues in 2023.
Ever since arriving in the majors, Bailey’s main tool has been his defense behind the plate for San Francisco. He’s never hit above .234 in a full season, and he only has 22 career home runs through his first 383 games of action. Bailey won the National League Gold Glove Award for the catcher position in both 2024 and 2025, but his struggles at the plate this year (.146 BA, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .396 OPS) forced San Fran to make a tough decision on his future.
With Daniel Susac (who is currently on the injured list) and Eric Haase both looking significantly better than Bailey at the plate, the Giants decided it was time to switch things up. The team has shipped Bailey to the Guardians for the No. 29 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 MLB Draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson.
“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 reported in a post on X.
GettyPatrick Bailey looks on during a Giants game against the Padres on August 20, 2025.
This is a rare move in MLB that involves draft pick compensation, but since the No. 29 pick was a competitive-balance pick, it allowed the Guardians to send it to the Giants. Wilkinson also isn’t one of Cleveland’s top-30 prospects, but he’s enjoyed a strong start at Double-A this season (1-3, 1.59 ERA, 36 K, 0.92 WHIP) that convinced the Giants to take a flier on him.
San Fran now has some serious firepower for the upcoming draft, but it’s fair to wonder if this move indicates the team is already giving up on the 2026 season. Bailey was a steadying presence for the team’s pitching staff behind the plate, so even though he was doing virtually nothing at the plate, his loss will be felt. The Giants are hoping that shedding Bailey could lead to more wins, but if it doesn’t, more moves like this could end up being made by the front office.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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