The Cleveland Guardians secured catcher Austin Hedges on Wednesday with a one-year deal worth $4 million.
Hedges, who was eligible for free agency, will earn the same base salary as last season.
He can add up to $500,000 in performance bonuses tied to starts, earning $125,000 each at 70, 75, 80, and 85 games.
The veteran catcher expressed confidence in Cleveland’s young pitching staff and their potential moving forward into the 2026 season.
Hedges recently raved about the rotation’s development and impressive late-season performance.
“I couldn’t be anymore proud of them. It was a lot of work starting in spring training with such a young staff that still needed to develop to be ready for the big leagues. The last month and a half of the season, our pitchers just stopped giving up runs. Those were in the games that mattered the most. We were playing playoff games in September. Moving into 2026, we’ve got at least a six-man rotation that I’m confident can go out and meet anybody in the league. And that list might be even deeper than that right now,” Hedges said.
The Guardians adopted a six-man rotation during September’s demanding stretch of 24 games in 24 days.
Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Parker Messick, and Joey Cantillo combined for a 2.60 ERA during that month.
The performance helped secure a postseason berth and provided momentum heading into the offseason.
The rotation’s improvement reflected steady development throughout the entire season rather than a sudden surge.
Before the All-Star break, Guardians starters posted a 4.07 ERA over 503 1/3 innings, tied for 17th in the majors.
After the break, they improved to a 3.60 ERA over 384 2/3 innings, tied for fifth in ERA and first in innings.
Managing a six-man rotation presents challenges, particularly with bullpen management, but Cleveland remains optimistic about their staff’s talent and durability.
The Guardians have consistently demonstrated strong ability in identifying, acquiring, and developing pitching talent across both starters and relievers.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Why Guardians Struggle With Developing Hitters
