The San Francisco Giants traded their starting catcher Patrick Bailey (27).
MLB.com reported on the 10th (KST), "Since Buster Posey took office as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants in September 2024, he has made several bold decisions. This time he made a shocking move by trading a catcher who was once considered his successor," conveying Bailey's trade news.
Bailey is a catcher who has played 383 major league games with a .224 batting average (1,218 at-bats, 273 hits), 22 home runs, 154 RBIs, 127 runs, 8 stolen bases and an OPS of .611. His hitting is not outstanding, but his defense is strong enough that he won the National League catcher Gold Glove in both 2024 and 2025.
However, Bailey recently fell into a severe hitting slump and his playing time began to decrease. This season Bailey has appeared in 30 games with a .146 batting average (82 at-bats, 12 hits), 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 5 runs, 2 stolen bases and an OPS of .396.
The Giants decided to trade Bailey. They sent Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians and received left-handed prospect Matt Wilkinson and the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 amateur draft.
MLB.com explained the Giants' reason for the Bailey trade, saying, "Considering that the Giants as a team have been suffering from severe offensive struggles, this slump had become an unbearable level for the team."
The Giants called up rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez to replace Bailey. Rodriguez is ranked 18th on the team's prospect list. After his major league call-up he has a .455 batting average in four games (11 at-bats, 5 hits), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 1 run and an OPS of 1.227.
Also, Daniel Susac, who was called up to the majors earlier and hit .478 in 11 games (23 at-bats, 11 hits) with 5 RBIs, 1 run and an OPS of 1.152, is expected to return from the injured list.
The Giants are 15-23 this season with a .395 winning percentage, ranking 29th in Major League Baseball. By trading starting catcher Bailey, they appear to be preparing for a rebuild while giving opportunities to younger catchers. With Lee Jung-hoo recently showing signs of regaining his hitting touch, attention is focused on what impact the Giants' trade will have on the remainder of the season.<
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