San Francisco Giants Trade Former Top Prospect Joey Bart to Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are taking a flier on Joey Bart, who was once one of the most coveted young catchers in baseball with the San Francisco Giants.
The San Francisco Giants have traded catcher Joey Bart to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team announced Tuesday evening. FanSided's Robert Murray was first to report the deal, as well as the players switching sides.
Right-handed pitching prospect Austin Strickland is going back to the Giants as part of the trade.
San Francisco selected Bart with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, at which point he was heralded as the heir apparent to Buster Posey. Instead, Bart found a tough time carving out a consistent role in the Giants' big league lineup.
Bart may have made San Francisco's Opening Day roster last week, but he was designated for assignment on Sunday when the team called up Daulton Jefferies.
Bart has appeared in 162 MLB games since debuting in 2019, recording 11 home runs, 38 RBI and a 0.7 WAR in that time. The 27-year-old is a .219 lifetime hitter with a .623 career OPS.
Across 264 career minor league appearances, Bart is a .279 hitter with 46 home runs, 166 RBI and an .835 OPS. Bart was pegged as a top-25 prospect in baseball from 2019 to 2021.
To acquire Bart, the Pirates had to part ways with Strickland, a 21-year-old who they took in the eighth round of last year's draft. He has yet to make an appearance in the minor leagues, but he did join Pittsburgh for Spring Training camp this year.
The Pirates also designated right-handed pitcher Colin Selby for assignment in order to make room for Bart on their 40-man roster.
Bart is now set to compete with Jason Delay for Pittsburgh's backup catcher job, should he earn a call up to the big leagues. Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is still the Pirates' starter behind the dish.
This marks the third trade the Pirates have made since the start of the regular season. Pittsburgh sent right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker to the New York Yankees on March 29, then sent pitching prospect Jackson Wolf to the San Diego Padres earlier Tuesday.
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