The Cleveland Guardians made a very surprising trade in early May when they acquired Patrick Bailey from the San Francisco Giants. Rather than looking for an offensive-minded catcher to make up for the lack of production from Bo Naylor, the Guardians doubled down on defense behind the plate by adding Bailey, who is a two-time Gold Glove winner.
Joining a team during the season is perhaps most difficult for a catcher, who has to learn not only the preferred approach of his new team but also the tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses of all of its pitchers. Those things are usually ironed out in spring training, and sometimes over multiple years.
It is especially difficult when it comes to relievers, with a limited number of pitches per appearance to get acclimated to each other. Fortunately, it seems Bailey has gotten a handle on it in time for the most important stretch of the season.
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt recently praised Bailey’s quiet adjustment period, highlighting the work he has put in to learn the entire staff.
“The bullpen guys always take longer to really settle in with because you don’t catch them as often. When you do, it’s 12 to 15 pitches. So sometimes it takes seven to eight outings catching a bullpen guy to really understand and get on the same page,” Vogt said. “[Patrick Bailey’s] acclimated himself to all the starters, all the bullpen guys and it takes a while. Just a credit to him and his hard work.”
The Guardians have been leaning heavily on their pitching staff to remain in contention for an AL playoff berth. Cleveland’s offense ranks among the worst in the majors, so the margin of error on the mound is almost non-existent.
The rotation, led by All-Star Parker Messick and Gavin Williams, has been incredibly durable. The five pitchers, including Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, and Slade Cecconi, have started all but one of the 110 games so far.
Meanwhile, the bullpen has been one of the best in the game. After taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland’s relievers have a 3.73 ERA that ranks fourth in the AL, and its 25.6 percent inherited runners scored rate ranks second in the league, according to Cleveland.com.
Bailey might have just a .222 batting average and .643 OPS over his 44 games played with the Guardians, but combined with fellow catcher Austin Hedges, his value to the team goes well beyond that.
NEXT: Guardians Are In Playoff Position With One Big Catch
