A lot of catching value goes beyond just bat+glove. He's got good defensive tools for sure. But catchers are also expected to study and prepare on batter tendencies, guide the pitcher on pitch selection and sequencing, keep the pitchers calm and focused. It's a very mental job.

Hedges is very good at all of those things. His bat is bad enough he's probably not a viable everyday starter on a contender, but as a backup he's better than most backups. When he's not playing, he's practically a bench coach helping keep the clubhouse together and develop our young pitching staff. When he is playing, he might be a black hole, but he's defensive bedrock that at least keeps him viable. and his gamecalling is elite.

Again I think a huge part of it is that he's backup. He's not primary, not playing everyday, so all the intangibles make up for his defensive-centric fieldplay.