Former NC State Catcher Finds New MLB Home Soon After Wolfpack Visit

While NC State practiced at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif., ahead of a three-game set against the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday, the program got a visit from a familiar face. Former San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey made the short trip down to the Stanford campus to visit with his former college program.

Less than 48 hours later, Bailey's tenure with the Giants had come to an end, as the front office decided to trade the two-time Gold Glove winner to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. It marked the end of an up-and-down start to Bailey's career after such an incredible run in Raleigh with the Wolfpack, but it could bring new life to the backstop's professional dreams.

A meaningful visit

There aren't many collegiate coaches who love their former (and current) players quite as much as Elliott Avent does at NC State. Now in his 30th season with the Wolfpack, the skipper still routinely brings up some of the best to ever come through the program, with names like Carlos Rodón and Trea Turner joining Bailey on the list with great frequency. Any opportunity to reunite with those players is cherished by a coach like Avent.

Bailey, in the midst of a rough start to his third full season with the Giants, got away from the grind of the MLB season on his off day and caught up with his old coaching staff, while also supporting the new roster. There weren't many better in Raleigh than Bailey, who hit 29 home runs, 106 RBIs and finished with a batting average of .302.

The catcher became used to the business side of Major League Baseball over the last four years, making the jarring transition less surprising than it might've been for fans of both the Guardians and the Giants. Even Wolfpack fans were quick to chime in on social media about the move of their former catcher, who remains one of the best defensive backstops in the league, despite his serious offensive struggles so far.

"A little bit surprised, but at the same time, you could kind of see the writing on the wall a little bit there with my time," Bailey told Cleveland media members on Saturday. "It just felt like I was losing opportunities, losing at-bats... You kind of get an idea when you stop playing, you get a feel for what's going on."

NC State has been particularly forward about honoring their former catcher over the last year, even wearing Giants-colored shirts during fall practices for Bailey's signature "Jesus Won" brand. While the latest move might seem like a setback in the career of another Pack Pro, no one has more confidence in Bailey's career than his former coaches and fans of the school where the catcher once squatted behind the plate.

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