CLEVELAND — Austin Hedges’ contributions went well beyond being just a light-hitting backup catcher for the Guardians last season. He was a mentor, advisor, wise-cracking teammate and clubhouse leader.

He’ll be one for Cleveland again.

The popular catcher agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract Wednesday to return to the AL Central champions, who credited Hedges’ leadership as a major factor in the team’s unexpected success in 2024.

The Guardians took over first place in April and stayed there, going 92-69 and winning the AL Central under rookie manager Stephen Vogt. Cleveland beat Detroit in a tight Division Series before losing in five games to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Hedges was a clubhouse conduit for Vogt, who immediately had to navigate around several injuries to his pitching staff early in the year. The 32-year-old Hedges mentored young catcher Bo Naylor during his first full major league season and also appeared in eight of Cleveland’s 10 postseason games.

Hedges said he became the kind of selfless player every team wants by necessity.

“Well, it kind of all started with not hitting very well,” joked the .186 career hitter over 10 major league seasons.

Hedges found value in being a teammate young players could lean on, and in doing so made himself an indispensable asset.

“I had to look myself in the mirror and be like, how am I going to stay in the game?” he said. “Because I don’t want to go back to the minor leagues. I don’t want to get another job. I love the big leagues. I love playing in the big leagues. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted in life.”

Hedges had expressed interest in coming back during his exit interviews, and the team’s feeling was mutual.

“He’s not just the mascot. This is a really good player,” Vogt said following the season. “He’s so much more to us than what any outside source can see. He helps us get better. He helps me get better. He challenges the coaching staff. He challenges his teammates and he brings the energy every single day.

“And, he’s a very, very good major league baseball player. You don’t stay in the league as long as he’s been here by accident.”

Hedges played for Cleveland from 2020-22 and then re-signed with the Guardians for $4 million last season after spending 2023 with Pittsburgh and Texas, where he won a World Series title.

He believes the Guardians are on their way to one as well.

“We have a road map now for what to do,” Hedges said. “We had an idea of what the road map looked like after 2022, but now we know exactly what it takes to get to the World Series and what it’s going to take to then win that thing.

“So for us, we don’t have to change much.”

The Guardians went 26-20 in Hedges’ 46 starts. While he struggled as a hitter, because of his experience, Hedges started in the playoffs and also replaced Naylor late in some pressure-packed postseason games.

Hedges spent five-plus seasons with San Diego before he came to Cleveland in a trade midway through the 2020 season.