With the MLB batting average at .239 — the lowest since 1968 — and home runs per game at their lowest rate since 2015, managers around the league are confronting a familiar dilemma: how poor an offensive performer can an excellent defender be and still hold a regular spot in the lineup.
One recent example is catcher Patrick Bailey, a two-time Gold Glove winner in 2024 and 2025 and a noted pitch-framing specialist. Bailey was hitting just .146 with one home run in 30 games when the San Francisco Giants, seeking more offense and with rookies Jesus Rodriguez and Daniel Susac ready for more playing time, traded him to the Cleveland Guardians on May 9. “I think it’s more the confidence that we have in Jesus Rodriguez and Daniel Susac, and just the strides that we feel like as an organization they’ve made defensively,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey told reporters after the trade. At the time of the move, Bailey’s line with Cleveland was listed as .140/.207/.206 (20 OPS+).
Other high-end defenders have struggled at the plate in 2026. Denzel Clarke of the Athletics was off to a slow start and has been on the injured list since late April (.170/.228/.189, 16 OPS+). Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Reds, a two-time Gold Glove third baseman, landed on the IL with a back issue after hitting .142/.195/.225 (17 OPS+). Joey Ortiz of the Brewers, who ranked in the 98th percentile in Statcast’s outs above average, checked in at .195/.290/.239 (52 OPS+). Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II, fourth among center fielders in Statcast defensive value last season, was at .197/.257/.265 (52 OPS+). Mets second baseman Marcus Semien, a two-time Gold Glove winner and three-time top-three MVP finisher in his career, was hitting .216/.264/.312 (65 OPS+). Taylor Walls of the Rays remained the regular shortstop despite a .202/.303/.282 line (67 OPS+) and a career OPS near .584.
To assess how long such defenders can keep starting roles, the analysis examined data back to 1962, when both leagues had expanded to 10 teams. The bottom-line finding: bad hitters are not remaining in the lineup as regularly as they once were, according to that study.
The Bailey trade illustrates a broader point: teams may give defensive specialists latitude, but there is a limit. When offense is scarce and internal or external alternatives exist, even Gold Glove defenders can be moved or demoted in pursuit of more run production.
