The last time Austin Hedges wore a Cleveland Guardians uniform, he was the starting catcher for a team playing in the ALDS. A lot has changed since then, both for the organization and for Hedges.
He signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, was traded to the Texas Rangers at the deadline, and won a World Series with his new club. The Guardians on the other hand took a step back and are looking for a bounce-back season in 2024.
Hedges now rejoins a Guardians roster where the roles will be reversed. He'll now be the backup catcher but will have the important task of mentoring the next generation of Guardians talent.
Cleveland native, Chris Rose, had Hedges on his podcast and discussed how excited he is to work with Bo Naylor this upcoming season.
"That's exactly right and I couldn't be more excited to do that. You know, it's your first year or two in the big leagues of starting. You're not supposed to know all the answers. You're not supposed to just show up in the big leagues and be like 'Yep, I can just handle a staff, handle calling a game.' My job and [Sandy Alamar's] and [Stephen Vogt's] job is to speed that process up."
The fact that Hedges is so willing to help is one thing, but that would mean nothing if the receiving end isn't interested. Thankfully, Bo has already said this offseason that he's excited to learn from what Hedges has to offer as this partnership is already off to a good start.
Hedges' leadership is something that shouldn't be underestimated. Ranger teammates noted how important he was to their clubhouse culture and even Steven Kwan went on the record to talk about how he was missed in 2023.
Yes, he has an important job in mentoring Bo. But Hedges will provide much more to the team than at one position.
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