The Cleveland Guardians acquired two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Patrick Bailey from the San Francisco Giants for the No. 29 pick in this year's MLB draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson.
Bailey, 26, is considered one of the best defensive catchers in the major leagues, though his struggles with the bat and Daniel Susac's imminent return from the injured list prompted the Giants to seek a deal for Bailey this week.
The Guardians stepped up with the No. 29 pick -- which they are allowed to trade because it is a competitive-balance round choice -- and the 23-year-old Wilkinson, whose large frame earned him the nickname "Tugboat" and whose strikeout rate has been elite since he entered professional baseball.
The 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of NC State, Bailey consistently ranks among the top catchers in baseball by publicly available defensive metrics. While much of his value in the past has come from framing -- a skill that has been mitigated some by the introduction of the ABS challenge system -- Bailey's strong arm and game-calling skills intrigued the Guardians and others that discussed Bailey with the Giants.
While Bailey's offensive numbers scared off some teams -- he is hitting .146/.213/.183 with one home run and five RBIs in 89 plate appearances this season -- the Guardians' previous top catcher, Bo Naylor, had similar production with less defensive value. Naylor was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to make room on the 26-man roster.
Bailey has shown flashes of offensive potential in the past but has a career line of .224/.282/.329.
The Guardians entered Saturday with a 21-19 record and in first place in the American League Central. Bailey was expected to join the team before first pitch Saturday night against the Minnesota Twins.
By acquiring the $3.27 million slot for the 29th pick, the Giants now have the fourth-largest bonus pool in the July draft at $17.35 million. San Francisco is picking fourth overall and could try to float the clear top two talents, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky or Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson, down to No. 4. Teams lower in the draft with larger pools often offer larger signing bonuses to potential picks in hopes they will tell higher-picking teams they would refuse to sign if chosen.
At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Wilkinson cuts an imposing figure on the mound. His low-90s fastball generates a surprising amount of swing-and-miss, and in 28⅓ innings at Double-A this season, Wilkinson has struck out 36 and walked nine with a 1.59 ERA. Since Cleveland chose him in the 10th round in 2023 out of junior college, the Calgary-area native who pitched for Canada in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year has punched out 330, walked 91 and allowed just 186 hits in 252 innings with a 2.82 ERA.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.