Austin Hedges envisions a future with the Cleveland Guardians, even after his playing career is over.
The Cleveland Guardians learned just how important Austin Hedges was to their team when he wasn’t around. The Guardians have reached the playoffs three of the last four seasons, and the one year they missed out on October baseball, Hedges was off winning the World Series with the Texas Rangers.
That winter, Cleveland knew it had to get back its lockeroom leader and re-signed Hedges to a one-year deal. Then, just days after the 2025 season ended, the Guardians signed the veteran to another one-year deal, and that appears to be what could happen for the rest of Hedges’ career.
“When I signed here going into last year, my top priority was to stay [in Cleveland], and it still remains even moving on after this year,” Hedges said. “I'll get my 10 years [of service time] this year, which is really cool. It's kind of like my last personal goal for my career. With that, moving forward, I just want to be.”
May 6, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) warms up the pitcher in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesHedges isn’t going to win any batting titles anytime soon, but he’s still a tremendous backstop and makes an impact that goes well beyond what the box score says. For example, he’s helping put together a game plan for MLB’s new ABS (automated balls and strikes) challenge system, new to baseball this year.
The Guardians clearly see the worth in having Hedges around, and that’s one of the main reasons he wants to stay with the organization.
Hedges continued, “I want to be and where I feel like I'm valued, and that's what Cleveland is for me. I feel valued here, and I love everything about it. So, moving forward, even after this year, this is where I want to be, this is where I want to end my career. Then, even after playing days, this is the organization that I want to be involved in.”
Who knows how many more playing years the 33-year-old has in him? But it’s clear that, even when Hedges does call it a career, he wants to stick around in Cleveland in some role, and for someone who could be a tremendous manager at some point in the future, staying with the Guardians and learning from Stephen Vogt could be the best place for Hedges.
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