SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey has made several bold strokes since taking over as the Giants’ president of baseball operations in September 2024.
His latest bombshell revolved around a player who was once viewed as his long-term successor behind the plate.
The Giants announced Saturday that they’ve traded catcher Patrick Bailey to the Guardians in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson and the 29th overall pick of the 2026 Draft.
Bailey, 26, had been the Giants’ starting catcher since breaking into the Majors in 2023 and became the first backstop in franchise history to win back-to-back Gold Glove Awards last year. But his elite defense wasn’t enough to make up for his lack of production at the plate.
TRADE DETAILS
Giants get: LHP Matt Wilkinson, No. 29 pick in 2026 Draft
Guardians get: C Patrick Bailey
The switch-hitting Bailey has batted only .146 with a .396 OPS, one homer and five RBIs over 30 games this year, a miserable stretch that became harder for the Giants to absorb given their collective offensive futility this season.
San Francisco (15-23) currently ranks last in the Majors in runs, homers and walks, prompting the club to promote rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez from Triple-A Sacramento as part of a roster shakeup on Monday. Rodriguez, the Giants’ No. 18 prospect, started behind the plate in three of his first four games for the Giants, going 5-for-11 (.455) with one home run and two RBIs, pushing Bailey into more of a backup role.
With fellow rookie catcher Daniel Susac also nearing a return from the injured list, Bailey looked in danger of losing even more playing time, which prompted the Giants to move on from their 2020 first-round Draft pick.
Bailey enjoyed his fair share of highlights over his four seasons in San Francisco, including a walk-off grand slam against the Dodgers and a walk-off inside-the-parker against the Phillies last year. But Bailey still remained a below-average hitter throughout his Giants tenure, batting only .224 with a .611 OPS and a 74 OPS+ over 383 career games.
Wilkinson, 23, was taken by Cleveland in the 10th round of the 2023 Draft. He's gone 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA over six starts at Double-A Akron this year, posting a 0.92 WHIP while striking out 36 over 28 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-1 hurler is nicknamed “Tugboat” and is known for his "Invisi-ball" fastball.