The Guardians have been busy reshaping their staff this offseason, and on Friday they added a name that fits Cleveland’s style of doing business: Alex Burg.
Burg is coming over from the San Francisco Giants, where he spent this past season as the club’s field coordinator and catching coach. In Cleveland, he’ll take on a quality control role.
The move also brings Burg back together with Patrick Bailey, a connection that gives this hire extra weight. As Justice delos Santos wrote, “Alex Burg, the Giants’ field coordinator and catching coach, is joining the Cleveland Guardians as a quality control coach, per source. He will be reunited with Patrick Bailey, who won two Gold Gloves under Burg in SF.”
That reunion matters because Bailey has grown into one of the game’s top defensive catchers, and much of that work happened under Burg in San Francisco. Bailey is now Cleveland’s starting catcher, and his framing, blocking and game calling are central to why the Guardians’ pitching staff was so dominant this season. Getting the coach who helped shape that skill set back in the picture should be a meaningful boost.
Burg could wind up helping beyond Bailey, too. Cleveland still needs a backup catcher after Austin Hedges reached free agency, and International League MVP Cooper Ingle is among the leading candidates to fill that spot.
Ingle’s bat is ahead of his glove, so time with a catching specialist like Burg could help him tighten up the defensive side. The Guardians also have other catching prospects moving through the system, including Reiner Herrera, Bennett Thompson and Kody Huff.
The 39-year-old Burg has taken a winding route to this point. He grew up in Des Moines, Washington, and earned state Player of the Year honors as a senior at Mount Rainier High School. He played two seasons at Clemson before transferring to Washington State, then was selected by the Giants in the 24th round in 2009.
From 2010 through 2018, Burg spent eight seasons in the minors, where he hit .260 with a .344 on-base percentage and a .441 slugging percentage while seeing time at multiple positions. He also played one season with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League and spent time in winter ball in Australia and Venezuela.
His coaching career began in Texas, where the Rangers hired him in 2019 for a newly created job as Coordinator of Run Production. He held that post for three years before returning to the Giants in 2022 as a bullpen catcher. He was elevated to big league catching coach in 2024 and added field coordinator responsibilities this past season.
That background makes him a natural fit for quality control, a job that typically includes data work, opponent scouting and helping the staff prepare. Burg has experience on both sides of the game, and he’s spent enough time around players to know how to turn information into something useful on the field.
It may not be the loudest move of the offseason, but it’s the kind of addition Cleveland has long valued: a coach with a track record of developing elite defensive catchers, and one who already knows the player behind the plate.
In Other News...
Guardians Could Have A Buy Low Trade Chance Worth Watching
The trade market around Dylan Crews is starting to get some attention, and that is the kind of development the Guardians tend to monitor closely. According to The Athletics Spencer Nusbaum, multiple teams have shown interest in the Nationals infielder, who is still just 24 and coming off his first full season in Washington. The offensive production was modest, but the pedigree remains obvious, which is why a player like this can suddenly move from long-term project to buy-low target.
For Cleveland, the fit is easy to see on paper. The Guardians have built their roster around pitching depth and have been willing to explore creative ways to add talent without straying far from their usual approach. A player with Crews upside could make sense if the price is right, especially if Washington is open to listening, but there is no official trade or even confirmed negotiation yet. For now, it is more a name to track than a deal in motion, which is enough to keep it on the radar in Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Shortstop Suddenly Has Real Pressure On His Future
Brayan Rocchio has spent most of the last three seasons as the Guardians starting shortstop, and the case for keeping him in that role has always started with the glove. He has shown strong defensive skills, while the offense has been more uneven, even if his 2026 numbers moved in the right direction and settled closer to league average.
This winter brings a different kind of pressure. Rocchio is now arbitration-eligible, and with other infield prospects pushing for opportunities on the roster, Cleveland has a decision to make about whether he still fits as part of the long-term picture or whether his name could come up in trade discussions. [Read more 🡒]
Three Guardians Just Sparked A New MVP Debate
The Guardians got a little extra recognition in the American League MVP race, and it came in a way that says plenty about how their season was viewed. Parker Messick, a rookie pitcher, drew multiple votes in a field that usually leans heavily toward everyday hitters, while Steven Kwan and Cade Smith also landed on ballots after turning in seasons that clearly caught the attention of voters around the league.
For Cleveland, the bigger takeaway is less about the final tally and more about the range of players who were noticed. Kwans steady presence, Smiths impact, and Messicks unusual showing for a rookie arm all point to a roster that made its mark in different ways, even if none of them was in the center of the MVP conversation for long. [Read more 🡒]