SF Giants end Patrick Bailey era with stunning and risky bet on their future

Just a few days after calling up rookie Jesus Rodriguez and slugger Bryce Eldridge as part of one of his annual roster shake-ups, president of baseball operations Buster Posey pulled off an even splashier move. The San Francisco Giants traded Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for the No. 29 pick in this year’s draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson.

The Rafael Devers blockbuster last June was the first stunning trade of the Posey era; the Bailey one is the second. In less than two years at the helm of the organization, the former catcher has undoubtedly reshaped its landscape.

Bailey’s defensive value was no longer enough to justify roster spot

Six years after being drafted by the Giants in the first round and two Gold Glove awards later, Bailey’s time in San Francisco has come to an abrupt, unexpected end. His otherworldly defensive abilities have proved insufficient to offset his glaring lack of production at the plate.

Bailey had some unforgettable moments during his four-year tenure with the Giants, the most recent being his three-run home run against the Dodgers. But ultimately, given how the offense has performed so far, the Giants needed a spark. And Bailey paid the price for it.

His numbers have been especially bad this season, even by his standards. He has slashed .146/.213/.183 with a terrifying .396 OPS in 30 games so far. There is no doubt this move is a stunner, but there were also signs. Since being called up on May 4, Rodriguez has started over Bailey in three of the Giants’ four games. And in the one game Bailey did start — after being benched for three straight games for the first time in his career — Rodriguez was in right field.

The way the 24-year-old has been performing, both in spring training and Triple-A, but also in his limited time in the majors, probably emboldened the front office to pull the lever. Through four games and 12 plate appearances in the big leagues, Rodriguez has gone 5-for-11 with a home run, two RBI and a 1.227 OPS.

A major factor in why the front office decided to take that route is that Rodriguez isn’t the only catcher who has shown promise this season. Before going on the IL with an elbow injury, Daniel Susac was batting .478/.500/.652 with a 1.152 OPS in 11 games this season. Even Eric Haase proved he could contribute moving forward. In very limited time, the nine-year veteran has posted a .900 OPS.

It really was the first time in his four seasons with the Giants that Bailey had faced real competition behind the plate. From Blake Sabol in 2023 to Andrew Knizner last season, the Giants were more than fine with having him in the lineup, despite his batting average barely scraping the .200 mark. The sudden offensive emergence of Jesus Rodriguez and Daniel Susac was enough for the front office to think otherwise.

One of the immediate questions that comes to mind is: how much will this move impact the pitching staff? This season alone, the team’s ERA jumps to 4.50 when Bailey isn’t behind the plate, compared to 3.40 when he is. However, the Giants appear willing to sacrifice all-time defense if it means they can bolster their offense.

I would probably not be writing this article if the Giants’ lineup had produced up to its standards. Had the middle of the order done its part, Bailey probably doesn’t get traded. But 38 games into the season, and with an NL-worst 15-23 record, the Giants rank last in runs scored (120), last in walks (72), tied for last in home runs (24), and, thanks to their better-than-usual performance against the Pirates on Friday night, 29th in OPS (.642). They had to make something happen, and Bailey paid the price.

The catcher position is now as open as ever and the battle for it should be an interesting one. Daniel Susac has started his rehab assignment and homered in back-to-back games with the River Cats, while Jesus Rodriguez continues to shine on the big stage.

As for the player the Giants got in return, Matt Wilkinson has had a solid start to his season in Double-A, posting a 1.59 ERA across six starts. The Giants also netted the No. 29 pick in the draft. They now have two first-round picks: No. 4 and No. 29.

It’s the end of an era in San Francisco — the end of the Patrick Bailey era. An era Giants fans cherished and probably will never forget.

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