Joey Bart will get a fresh start in Pennsylvania. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Bart from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-handed pitcher Austin Strickland, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
The trade comes following the Giants' recent decision to DFA the catcher.
Bart's tenure in San Francisco hasn't really gone according to plan. A number-two overall pic, Bart was drafted by the Giants in 2018 following a decorated collegiate run with Georgia Tech and two summer teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
He made his majors debut in 2020 and through four seasons, Bart slashed .219/.288/.335 in 457 at-bats for San Francisco. Totaling 503 plate appearances, the 27-year-old managed 11 home runs, 16 doubles, two triples and 38 runs batted in while striking out 178 times.
Bart spent the majority of his career going back and forth between the Giants and their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. In 554 plate appearances with Sacramento, the catcher hit .274 to go with 17 home runs, 78 RBI and 157 strikeouts.
While his batting still poses as a question mark, Bart is reliable on the defensive side of the ball. In 156 games as a catcher for the Giants, he tallied 1,110 putouts, 55 assists and 12 errors for a career .990 fielding percentage. Last season, he forced out 212 base runners, threw nine assists and committed two errors.
Bart's move to the Pirates gives him another chance to prove himself, considering how the Giants are now sticking with Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphey as their first and second catcher options (respectively). In addition, Blake Sabol is still part of the 40-man roster so Bart's window of opportunity prior to the trade was arguably slim to none.
Joey Bart starts a new chapter with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Bart joins a Pittsburgh team that's off to a hot start this 2024. The Pirates are on a 5-0 streak with four of those wins coming from a series sweep over the Miami Marlins.
Looking at the Pirates' catchers, the acquisition of Bart comes as the rotation suffers from multiple injuries. Yasmani Grandal has yet to make a return after an IL designation to start the season. Endy Rodriguez will miss the team's 2024 campaign after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his UCL. Jason Delay was just placed on IL this Tuesday.
This now leaves Henry Davis and Joey Bart as the only healthy catchers for Pittsburgh. And for Bart, being in a position to play backup means another shot at redemption in an entirely new environment.
As for the Pirates, their aforementioned 5-0 start is the first of its kind in 41 years. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2015, finishing last year with yet another losing record.
Nonetheless, their recent performance is a step in the right direction. Through those five games, Pittsburgh scored no less than six runs each. Additionally, contributions are being made by multiple players. Oneil Cruz, Edward Olivares, Bryan Reynolds and Rowdy Tellez all have a homer each. Additionally, most of those in the batting rotation have already garnered hits to their name.
It's too early for any kind of prediction, but Pirates fans surely hoping that the team continues its impressive play in the long run.
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