Free agency is officially underway, and the Cleveland Guardians have made their fair share of minor moves since the end of the season. They were actively making moves to their 40-man roster on Sunday afternoon, bringing in new faces and making a trade, too.
First, they reportedly signed fan-favorite catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year deal, helping to establish a strong defensive presence with their backstops.
Cleveland had to make a corresponding move to add Hedges to their roster, considering that they would be carrying three catchers if they didn't.
The Guardians traded another backup catcher, Christian Bethancourt, to the Miami Marlins in return for cash considerations in response to this move.
The Guardians originally acquired Bethancourt earlier this offseason after the Tampa Bay Rays designated him for assignment. They picked him up off waivers, which was a smart move at the time, considering Cleveland didn't have another option for a backup catcher.
Bethancourt's tenure with Cleveland lasted a whole 34 days, so he never made an appearance in a Guardians uniform. So there aren't a whole lot of stats to recap here.
The Bethancourt trade has been made official by both the Guardians and Marlins organizations, which puts Cleveland's 40-man roster at 39 players.
However, the Hedges signing has not been confirmed by the Guardians. He still needs to clear his physical, so a formal announcement from Cleveland won't come for another few days, per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.
Once Hedges presumably is signed, he will occupy the last spot on the roster.
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