Giants trade Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey to Cleveland for pitching prospect, draft pick

The San Francisco Giants have traded Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians for a left-handed pitching prospect and a 2026 draft pick, the team announced Saturday.

The 26-year-old Bailey is a career .224 hitter with 22 homers and a .611 OPS over three-plus big league seasons, all with the Giants. San Francisco selected the North Carolina native in the first round with the 13th overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.

Bailey was not in the lineup during Friday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates but came in as a defensive replacement in the 8th inning and did not get an at-bat. 

Bailey is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2024, 2025) one of the top defensive players in the game, ranked in the 99th percentile in Fielding Run Value. Although his elite defensive skills continue to be on display this season, Bailey has struggled at the plate, hitting just .146 this season, which has led to rookie Daniel Susac getting more starts behind the plate.  

The Giants also called up catcher Jesus Rodriguez this week, who started Friday night and has been a spark for the offense, hitting over .450 in his first few big league appearances. Veteran Eric Haase is also on the roster for depth.

The Giants will receive from Cleveland the 29th overall pick in the MLB Draft, along with pitcher Matt Wilkinson, who was taken by Cleveland in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Nicknamed "Tugboat," the Vancouver, BC native is 13-17 with a 2.82 ERA over three Minor League seasons and is 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA in six starts this season at Double-A Akron. Wikinson has also posted a 0.918 WHIP this season, striking out 36 over 28 1/3 innings.

To make room for Bailey on the roster, Cleveland sent catcher Bo Naylor to Triple-A Columbus. The Guardians also have veteran Austin Hedges and utility man David Fry as catching options.