Guardians Sign Veteran Free Agent Catcher To One-Year Deal

Austin Hedges signs a one-year deal to stay with the Cleveland Guardians.

Jul 30, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) gets a ball from the umpire in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians opted not to wait until the weeks before spring training to enter the fee agency market this offseason.

The organization announced on Wednesday afternoon that they re-signed veteran catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year deal. The two sides reportedly expressed mutual interest the moment the season ended, and the Guardians didn't wait long to officially bring him back into the organization.

It's not too surprising that Hedges chose to return to Cleveland. Even after the Guardians were eliminated in the ALCS, he talked about "next year" and what the team needed to do to get back to the postseason, and it certainly sounded like he'd be a part of that.

This may not seem like a significant signing to those outside of the organization. Still, Hedges' impact off the field can't be overlooked when analyzing Cleveland's overachieving season from a year ago.

Yes, he only appeared in 65 games behind the plate and hit .152/.203/.423 in 132 at-bats. However, traditional stats can't always value every player's impact.

May 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) comes off the field in the middle of the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Hedges was routinely called the heart and soul of the Guardians clubhouse and, along with rookie manager Stephen Vogt, established a mindset early on in the season that each game of the 162-game season had value and purpose. This led to Cleveland's hot start in April and May, which they used to coast into the postseason.

For now, it appears Cleveland's Opening Day catching plan is to have Bo Naylor as their starter and primary backstop, with Hedges as his backup and locker room leader once again.