The Cleveland Guardians are heading into a 2025-2026 offseason that could be filled with a lot of changes. From the ramifications of the Emmanuel Clase investigation to the impact of veterans leaving in free agency, change is coming in Cleveland.
One of those changes could come at the backup catcher spot, with Austin Hedges potentially being in the final year of his time with the Guardians.
Nicholas Anderson of Away Back Gone of Fansided believes that Hedges could see his time in Cleveland come to an end in the offseason, with top-five prospect Cooper Ingle taking his place on the MLB roster.
Why Cooper Ingle Over Austin Hedges
While the Guardians are looking to improve the roster in the offseason, an underrated move could be improving their backup catcher spot. Bo Naylor is a good starter, but his backup spot might see some change in 2026.
The Guardians’ current backup catcher, Austin Hedges,” Anderson writes, “is on a one-year deal that expires at the end of this season, and Ingle’s impressive performance has positioned him as the clear heir apparent behind Bo Naylor.”
Ingle is a 23-year-old catcher prospect, ranked fifth overall in the Guardians system by MLB Pipeline. This season in the minors, Ingle spent 92 games at Double-A and was recently promoted to Triple-A.
In Double-A, Ingle had a .273 batting average with a .391 on-base percentage and a .441 slugging percentage for an impressive .832 OPS. During his four games in Triple-A, he has a .300 batting average with a .563 on-base percentage and a .300 slugging percentage for a .863 OPS.
While his slug has yet to come to fruition at Triple-A, it’s been only four games, and it isn’t a concern. He’s been an impressive catcher, and if he continues to showcase his great discipline and can slug at the Triple-A level, he could take over for Hedges in 2026.
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While Hedges is a fan favorite and has played in the Majors for 11 seasons, he’s struggled to be a positive factor in his career. His production behind the plate as a catcher defensively has been solid, but his offensive production isn’t great.
This season, Hedges has a .139 batting average in 115 at-bats and has accounted for -0.5 WAR. During his 4.5 years with the Guardians, Hedges has amounted to -1.5 WAR. In his career, he’s worth -2.3 WAR.
Moving on from Hedges wouldn’t be difficult based solely on his offensive metrics. While he’s a solid fielder and can be a nice presence in the clubhouse, his offensive production is too poor to justify keeping him on the roster.
This decision would be made a lot easier if Ingle makes the Majors and continues to be a great offensive presence while also being a strong defender. He’s shown that ability in the minors so far, but the Majors will be a big test.
If the Guardians are looking to inject youth into the MLB roster, which seems likely based on their moves at the deadline, the Guardians could consider letting Hedges go and calling Ingle up to the Majors.
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