CLEVELAND — The Guardians have re-signed backup catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The move marks the club's first official signing of the free-agent season. Hedges returned to Cleveland last winter on a $4 million contract, but the terms of this new deal have not been disclosed.
In confirming their retention of Hedges, the organization referred to the 32-year-old as "an integral member of Cleveland's last two AL Central Division championship-winning clubs" in 2022 and '24. While Hedges has struggled as a hitter during his time with the Guards and throughout his career (.186 average and .559 OPS over 10 seasons), his status as a respected clubhouse leader cannot be overstated, nor can his love for Northeast Ohio and its baseball fans.
After spending the first six years of his career with the San Diego Padres, Hedges came to Cleveland in the middle of the 2020 campaign as part of the massive Mike Clevinger trade. As the club's primary catcher in 2022, he helped the Guardians win the AL Central title, but left in free agency for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He eventually found his way to the Texas Rangers, where he earned a World Series ring in 2023.
That same year, the Guards slumped to a 76-86 record, and while there were many reasons for the regression, some felt the loss of Hedges' personality had a negative effect on the team's psyche. Whatever the reality, Hedges returned and Cleveland made its way back to the playoffs, advancing to the AL Championship Series before falling to the New York Yankees in five games.
"I feel like we had unfinished business in '22," Hedges said after the team clinched a postseason berth in September. "We feel like we really had a really good shot to go all the way. It's tough to lose a heartbreaker in the postseason and being away last year, all I could think about was coming back with my guys here."
For now, Hedges and Bo Naylor will serve as the catching tandem, and while their defensive efforts were among the league's best, they combined to hit just .187 during the regular season, along with .147 (5 for 34) in the playoffs. Further complicating the matter is David Fry's status, who got a lot of reps behind the plate before suffering an elbow injury that limited his capabilities. He is not expected to play in the field at all in 2025 after undergoing surgery.
Despite his struggles with the bat, the Guardians noted Hedges' solid defense during this past season, with five defensive runs saved and six catcher framing runs. In his 46 starts at catcher, Cleveland went 26-20.