Guardians acquire Gold Glove catcher Bailey from Giants - ESPN

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. Bailey has shown flashes of offensive potential in the past but has a career line of .224/.282/.329.

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