Yes, the Cleveland Guardians should re-sign Austin Hedges

The above headline is probably not one many were expecting to see. Suggesting that the Cleveland Guardians should re-sign Austin Hedges does not seem to be anything that anyone would refer to as a priority (especially when compared to the prospect of bringing back Shane Bieber for next season), but retaining the services of the veteran backstop is something this organization should consider.

Operating under the assumption that Bo Naylor will be Cleveland's primary catcher, the Guardians are not really looking for anyone who would require a sizeable amount of playing time, making Hedges an ideal candidate to back him up. Hedges does not need to play every day in order to be a productive member of a team, as he is more of the supporting case clubhouse guy who can help keep a team together over the course of a 162-game season.

There is something else to consider here from Cleveland's point of view. The only other player on the major league roster capable of playing catcher is David Fry, and it seems like they may be without his services for quite some time. Fry was dealing with elbow issues later in the season and is visiting with a specialist known for performing Tommy John surgery. Should that ultimately be what Fry undergoes, Cleveland will need to have someone aside from Naylor, and why not have someone who is familiar with this clubhouse and multiple members of the pitching staff? Having some year-over-year consistency, even in a backup role, is incredibly valuable for a team looking to build upon what was a successful 2024 campaign.

The most common argument against signing Hedges would be his lack of offense. While it would be nice for a capable offensive bat at the catcher position, let's get one thing straight here, Hedges is a backup and should evaluated as such. Expecting anything really more out of someone who is known as a defensive catcher and not an offensive one would be foolish.

It does seem like the Guardians could be well on their way to keeping Hedges, as he is one of four players mentioned as having some level of mutual interest in returning. Of the three, Hedges is the only non-pitcher but being able to cross addressing the backup catcher position off their list and being able to focus on the pitching staff would allow them to allocate their time and financial resources more effectively. Considering the help they need in that area, this would be a hard course of action to argue with.