Bailey Trade Shakes Up Giants’ Roster, Sets Up Future

Underlying Metrics Hint at Possible Turnaround

Bailey has long struggled at the plate, but behind the dish he is head-and-shoulders above everyone else. He’s won two gold gloves, owns a lifetime .992 fielding percentage and ranks in the 100th percentile via Statcast in framing and pop time (1.86 seconds). He is a premier catcher for whichever team he’s on.

But can he hit? It’s possible. Bailey’s been off to a dismal start with San Francisco this season. So far, he’s put up a .146/.213/.183 slash line. That’s resulted in a ridiculously bad 16 wRC+ (where 100 is average). But, despite that line, there’s hope here. Bailey’s weighted on base average (wOBA) is .190, but his expected one (xwOBA) is a more respectable .283 mark.

That’s a large gap. It’s possible that Cleveland is betting on Bailey’s bat to turn into what the underlying metrics say it should be. Either way, the club acquires an elite backstop to handle their pitching staff.

San Francisco Building for the Future

It’s safe to say that this season hasn’t started the best that it could have for the Giants. In the first year of new manager Tony Vitello’s tenure, the club owns a 15-23 record and are fifth in the National League West entering play on Saturday. It has been hard to watch a club as talented as this one struggle as much as they are.

But the recent call-up of top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez have marked a change for San Francisco. It seems that the group is now seeking to use this moment to allow their younger players time to acclimate to MLB. That could give them an advantage next season with Eldridge and Rodriguez returning to join the roster, barring an injury or unforeseen trade.

Wilkinson’s Tenure in Minors Offers Hope

It’s not a full rebuild, but it’s something like that. The trade of Bailey for Matt Wilkinson and a draft pick adds more to this reasoning. Wilkinson is a very talented young pitcher at the Double-A level in the minors. So far this season, he owns a 1.59 ERA across 28 1/3 innings. That performance could get him promoted to the Triple-A level in the Giants’ system soon.

It’s also possible that, if San Francisco falls even further out of contention, Wilkinson could be called up late in this season to get some big-league reps. The likelihood of that remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a possibility.

Regardless, it’s a move that should encourage Giants’ fans, not the other way around. This isn’t President of Baseball Operations’ Buster Posey saying he’s already given up on the year, it’s a move that feels prudent. San Francisco is looking to their younger players to step up and prove themselves. Only time will tell if that strategy pays off.

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