The Guardians may be getting a quick reminder of what they gave up in the Patrick Bailey deal.
San Francisco is planning to bring up left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan, setting the stage for a possible big league debut against Cleveland as the clubs open a three-game series Tuesday. The Giants haven’t announced whether Wilkinson will come up as a starter or a reliever, but his first appearance could come as soon as Wednesday, when their game is currently listed as TBD.
“The San Francisco Giants are calling up left-hander Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, sources tell ESPN. Wilkinson, acquired in the Patrick Bailey trade, was a 10th-round pick out of junior college and has allowed just 59 hits in 90 innings this season while striking out 96.”
Cleveland dealt Wilkinson to San Francisco at the beginning of May, sending the pitching prospect out in exchange for catcher Patrick Bailey. Bailey has given the Guardians value behind the plate, but Wilkinson’s departure still stings for a simple reason: he looked like a real arm.
The Guardians drafted Wilkinson in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Central Arizona College, and he quickly rose into one of their more intriguing pitching prospects. His 2024 season was a breakout, with a 1.90 ERA across 118 2/3 innings between Single-A and High-A.
He backed up a bit last season, posting a 4.24 ERA in 104 innings at High-A, but Cleveland still pushed him to Double-A to start this year. That move paid off. Wilkinson put up a 1.59 ERA in 28 1/3 innings for Double-A Akron before the Guardians cashed in his value and shipped him to the Giants.
Since then, he’s spent most of the season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he has a 5.15 ERA in 43 2/3 innings and 43 strikeouts.
Bailey, meanwhile, has hit .208/.260/.357 with the Guardians while bringing strong defense and game-calling. He hasn’t been perfect, but he has been better in Cleveland than he was in San Francisco, and he’s helped settle a catching situation that was shaky before his arrival.
Even with that, the Giants are ready to give Bailey’s former trade piece a look. It fits the bigger picture in San Francisco, where a 51-73 record has turned the last three months into a long finish line. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey also added to the organization’s pitching depth at the deadline, and Wilkinson’s promotion is one of the first visible signs of that work.
Now the spotlight shifts to what comes next. Wilkinson could end up on the mound against the Guardians almost immediately, and that sets up a strange little full-circle moment for Cleveland fans.
If he handles them well, it’ll hurt. If he doesn’t, the trade will still be part of the conversation.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Infielder Gabriel Arias Is Back In Limbo Again
Gabriel Arias is back in roster purgatory after the Mets designated the infielder for assignment and moved Christopher Morel onto their 40-man roster from Triple-A Syracuse. Arias had barely settled in after being claimed off waivers from the Guardians, appearing in just two games for New York, and the latest move only adds to a career that has already seen him struggle to find offensive footing in the majors.
Because Arias is out of minor league options, the next step is not especially simple, and that is what makes this another tense pause in his career. Another club could decide to take a chance on him, and if he gets through waivers, the Mets would still have the ability to keep him in the organization by sending him to Syracuse. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians First Base Problem May Have A New Internal Answer
Clevelands first base search has already taken a few turns this season, with the club bringing in Nathaniel Lowe and sending Kyle Manzardo down after trying to stabilize a spot that never really settled. Now there may be another internal option gaining traction in Ralphy Velazquez, the organizations No. 2 overall prospect, who has been working his way through Triple-A and starting to look more comfortable there.
Velazquez has flashed real production at the level, posting a .264/.348/.494 line with 14 home runs in 63 games, and that kind of progress is hard to ignore for a team still looking for a long-term answer at first. The next checkpoint comes with roster expansion on Sept. 1, when Cleveland will have to decide whether his recent surge is enough to earn a look in the majors. [Read more 🡒]