Guardians trade Wilkinson to Giants, demote Naylor

The Cleveland Guardians have traded Okotoks Dawgs grad Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) to the San Francisco Giants.

May 9, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Cleveland Guardians have traded left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.), along with the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, to the San Francisco Giants for catcher Patrick Bailey.

To make room for Bailey on the roster, the Guardians have sent Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) down to triple-A, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

In six starts for the double-A Akron RubberDucks this season, Wilkinson, 23, has posted a 1.59 ERA and has struck out 36 batters in 28 1/3 innings. This followed the Okotoks Dawgs alum’s outstanding performance for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in which he didn’t allow a hit, while fanning four, in 2 2/3 innings in two outings.

Nicknamed Tugboat, the 6-foot-1 southpaw was selected in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB draft by the Guardians. In parts of four pro seasons, he owns a 13-17 record and a 2.82 ERA in 56 appearances (55 starts). He has 330 strikeouts in 252 innings.

In exchange for Wilkinson, the Guardians receive Bailey, who has won back-to-back National League Gold Glove awards and will replace Naylor behind the plate. Bailey has struggled offensively this season. In 30 games, he’s batting just .146 with one home run and five RBIs. For his career, the 2020 first-round pick has hit .224 with 22 home runs and 154 RBIs in 383 major league games.

Like Bailey, Naylor has yet to find his stroke at the plate this season, batting .143 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 28 games. The 26-year-old Canadian had been the Guardians’ regular catcher for the past two seasons.

He belted a career-high 14 home runs in 2025 and batted .353 in four games for Canada at this year’s World Baseball Classic.

An Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum, Naylor was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by Guardians in 2018. He has not played in the minors since 2023.