The Cleveland Guardians had a fantastic 2024 season but fell just short of the ultimate goal of reaching the World Series when they fell 4-1 to the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
In the days and weeks following the ALCS loss, this is now a time to reflect on the season that was, and backup catcher Austin Hedges recently shared a message about the team’s trajectory heading into next season.
The Guardians’ official X account shared a message from Hedges, who said “The job’s not done…We got this entire team coming back and (the fans) supported us all year and now that they got a group to look forward to coming back to next year they’ll show up loud and rowdy.”
As we turn the page on the 2024 season filled with so many great moments and lasting memories, Austin Hedges offers a message.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/eDvqsp2Wr9
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 22, 2024
Hedges added, “A lot of teams go in and they change personnel year after year, but this is a very similar group coming back next year and I think the Cleveland fans have a lot to look forward to.”
Hedges is a free agent, but this message makes it abundantly clear he wouldn’t mind coming back to Cleveland for another shot at a World Series.
While his bat continues to be a major weakness, he is an ideal complement to both starting catcher Bo Naylor and the pitching staff in general, so even though he hit .152 this season, one would expect the Guardians to look to retain him in the offseason.
Along with Hedges, Alex Cobb and Shane Bieber are the only players of note who are hitting free agency for Cleveland this offseason.
NEXT: Guardians Top Executive Feels Good About Roster But Knows There Is Work To Do
