Guardians Reunite With Player Fresh Off of World Series Ring

It's been all quiet on the free agency front so far for the Cleveland Guardians while other clubs make splashy moves. The team has signaled it's more interested in shedding salary than taking on extra money, which explains the lack of signings.

Cleveland did change that on Sunday, though, agreeing to a deal with a former player.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post initially reported the news of the Guardians signing catcher Austin Hedges to a $4 million deal. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com followed up on Heyman's intel, revealing it's a one-year contract.

Hedges, of course, spent 2.5 years in Cleveland. He was traded at the 2020 dealine to the Guardians as part of the Cal Quantrill deal, helping boost the club's catching depth down the stretch.

During his two full seasons with the team from 2021-2022, the former second-round pick appeared in 193 games. His hitting certainly left a lot to be desired, with Hedges hitting just .171 and recording 165 strikeouts. He was excellent behind the plate, though, posting a fielding percentage of of .997 and .994 during those campaigns.

It's no surprise to see ex-catcher Stephen Vogt add someone at his old position in one the team's first moves to begin his era as manager. That being said, Hedges received a significant contract for a backup that could easily become an overpay if it's not incentive-based.

There's other more pressing needs on this roster as well, so spending this kind of money to reunite with Hedges is questionable to say the least. Perhaps he'll bring some more value to the table this time around, however, coming off of a World Series win with the Texas Rangers.

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