Instant Grade: White Sox Fill Void at Catcher By Trading for Braves' Joey Bart
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The Chicago White Sox have needed a catcher since Kyle Teel went down with an ankle injury. The duo of Drew Romo and Edgar Quero just hasn't gotten it done for the White Sox.
They have now acquired catcher Joey Bart from the Atlanta Braves for right-handed pitcher Duncan Davitt, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Many fans will scoff at this trade, knowing that the White Sox's production from their backstops has been below average. However, this trade has more than meets the eye!
Grading The White Sox's Joey Bart Trade
Joey Bart was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants out of Georgia Tech. Once a highly regarded prospect, Bart debuted with San Francisco in 2020 but has gone on to struggle throughout his career.
With a .238/.319/.370 career slash line, Bart has largely been a bust compared to his draft position. With the Giants, he hit 11 home runs in 162 games before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Pirates, Bart hit 13 home runs in his first year (2024) with a .799 OPS. However, his production would soon fall off, with his OPS dropping 100 points in 2025. He was acquired by the Braves this year after 21 games with Pittsburgh.
In 20 games with the Braves, he has slashed .188/.316/.375 with two home runs in 57 plate appearances. While he's not a top-of-the-line catcher, he will provide something the White Sox have been missing behind the dish: Defense.
According to Baseball Savant, he is in the 69th percentile for blocks above average and in the 64th percentile for runners caught stealing above average. He has a high bat speed that hitting director Ryan Fuller can potentially work with, and maybe correct something about his approach or swing.
This will likely mean the end of the Drew Romo era in Chicago. Romo slashed .134/.220/.284 over 151 plate appearances with the White Sox, with below-average defense.
But what did Chris Getz give up?
Well, the answer is practically nothing. Duncan Davitt was a fringe top-30 White Sox prospect who was likely never going to be a long-term answer as a starter or reliever. He was designated for assignment this morning, so this is the best trade the White Sox probably could have gotten for him.
Grade: C+
While not the flashy answer that White Sox fans were hoping for, Bart can be solid with the right coaching staff. This likely means the organization feels pretty confident about Quero's resurgence and Teel's return close to the postseason. Fingers crossed.
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.