DETROIT -- You might have missed one of the only free-agent signings of the not-yet-begun MLB offseason.

Veteran catcher Austin Hedges re-signed with the Cleveland Guardians on a one-year, $4 million deal just a few days after their season ended .

Why is that notable? Hedges has been the worst, or very near the worst, offensive player in all of baseball for each of the last five seasons.

And yet, he keeps getting jobs -- decent-paying jobs, in fact -- typically making between $4 and $5 million a year.

Hedges plays great defense, is a trusted game-caller, and remains one of the game’s elite framers. That combination more than offsets his nonexistent offense. A catcher’s offensive output is judged differently from that of other positions. If he played anywhere else, Hedges likely would

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