Veteran catcher Austin Hedges will return to Guardians in the 2025 season as <a href="http://www.world-today-news.com/cleveland-guardians-defeat-texas-rangers-2-1-stellar-performance-by-steven-kwan/" title="Cleveland Guardians Defeat Texas Rangers 2-1, Stellar Performance by Steven Kwan”>Bo Naylor‘s backup
CLEVELAND — The popular receiver Austin Hedges signed a one-year contract on Wednesday to return to the Cleveland Guardians next season as substitute Bo Naylor.
The deal is worth $4 million, sources told Buster Olney of ESPN.
Austin Hedges was key in the Guardians clubhouse for rookie manager Stephen Vogt. Getty Images
The team credited Hedges’ leadership as a major factor in this year’s team, which went 92-69 and won the American League Central Division title under the rookie manager. Stephen Vogt. Cleveland beat Detroit in a tight Division Series before losing in five games to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
Hedges was a conduit in the clubhouse for Vogt, who immediately had to deal with several injuries to his pitching staff early in the year. Hedges, 32, served as Naylor’s mentor and appeared in eight of Cleveland’s 10 postseason games.
Hedges expressed interest in returning during his exit interviews, and the team’s sentiment was the same.
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“He’s not just the mascot; he’s a really good player,” Vogt said after the season. “He’s a lot more to us than any outside source can see. He helps us improve. He helps me improve. He challenges the coaching staff. He challenges his teammates and brings energy every day.
“And he’s a very, very good major league baseball player. You don’t stay in the league as long if you’ve been here by accident.”
Hedges had re-signed with Cleveland after spending 2023 with Pittsburgh and Texas, where he won a World Series title.
The Guardians went 26-20 in Hedges’ 46 starts. While he struggled as a hitter, Hedges was a starter in the playoffs and also replaced Naylor late in some pressure-packed postseason games due to his experience.
Hedges spent five-plus seasons with San Diego before coming to Cleveland in a trade midway through the 2020 season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
