Bradford Doolittle May 9, 2026, 01:45 PM ET

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MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com

Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com

Been with ESPN since 2013

May is rarely a time for big trades in MLB, but the Cleveland Guardians and San Francisco Giants made an intriguing deal on Saturday, with Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey headed to Cleveland for a pitching prospect and a 2026 draft pick.

How did each side fare in the deal? Let's dig in.

The deal: Guardians acquire C Patrick Bailey from the Giants for LHP Matt Wilkinson and Cleveland's 2026 competitive balance round A pick.

Guardians grade: C

The Guardians weren't viewed as strong contenders before the season, at least according to projection systems and betting markets, but as usual, Cleveland has played better than expected. In the tepid AL Central landscape, that's enough to have the Guardians in first place and with the entire AL so tightly bunched , marginal upgrades will mean a lot.…