The tide is finally starting to turn against SF Giants in the Patrick Bailey trade

The decision the SF Giants made to trade catcher Patrick Bailey seemed justified at the time. He was struggling offensively and the team needed more production from the lineup so they dealt him to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for left-handed pitcher Matt Wilkinson and the No. 29 selection in the 2026 MLB Draft which they used to draft left-handed pitcher Carson Bolemon.

While it seemed like the Giants were vindicated for the trade early on since Bailey’s struggles at the plate continued in Cleveland, it now seems that the tide has begun to turn a bit as Bailey has turned things around.

Since being traded to the Guardians, Bailey is hitting .237/.283/.398 with four home runs and 14 runs batted in. While that’s not all that impressive, compared to the .146/.213/.183 slash like he put up with the Giants this year he’s at least looking somewhat respectable at the plate.

Meanwhile, the Giants still have a very unclear picture at catcher. The hope was that Daniel Susac would take the starting job and run with it after his hot start to the season but he’s cooled off considerably. The Giants are now employing a rookie triumvirate of Susac, Jesus Rodriguez, and Drew Cavanaugh.

While Susac and Cavanaugh have been pretty strong defensively behind the plate, they are not quite on the same level as the two-time Gold Glove winner Bailey. So is it a stretch to say the Guardians are now winning the trade?

We won't know true winner of the Bailey trade for some time

It’s really too early to say definitively. The Giants looked smart for the move early on, but now the Guardians look a little smarter. The truth is we won’t fully know how this trade turned out for San Francisco until we see what “Tugboat” Wilkinson and Bolemon turn into. If they seem like the second coming of Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner in terms of homegrown lefties who become important pieces in the rotation then the Giants will unquestionably be happy with the trade.

But if neither guy works out and they cycle through catchers for years while Bailey keeps on winning Gold Gloves and hits well enough to remain a regular player then it may turn into a trade the Giants deeply regret.

At this snapshot in time it seems the tide is turning, but odds are the tide will come in and go out many times over the next few years and we won’t be able to fully appraise the trade until we see what Wilkinson and Bolemon become.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow