3. Austin Hedges
With Cleveland having Bo Naylor and David Fry, the Guardians will likely not bring back veteran catcher Austin Hedges in free agency.
The 32-year-old Hedges is solid behind the plate defensively but he leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. In 66 games this season with the Guards, Hedges hit a mediocre .152 with two home runs and 15 RBI.
Hedges’ offensive woes didn’t improve when the calendar flipped to October, as he slashed .083/.214/.167 in eight games (12 at-bats). The Guardians can’t easily find a backup catcher in free agency, especially with Fry playing all over the field.
Luckily for Cleveland, multiple free-agent catchers such as Danny Jansen, Kyle Higashioka, and Elias Diaz will be available. The Guardians’ front office won’t be losing sleep over Hedges, a career .186 hitter, as they have a young catcher in Bo Naylor.