Joey Bart is a Pittsburgh Pirate. Tuesday’s out-of-left-field trade for catcher Bart immediately led to speculation as to why. Are the Pirates dissatisfied with Henry Davis behind the plate? Will Davis be moved to the outfield again? Or is Davis going to the minors to work on his catching skills some more? Will Bart be converted to an outfielder or first baseman? Will either Davis or Bart be the full-time designated hitter? Is Yasmani Grandal on his way out?
The answer: None of the above, for now. The Pirates had to place backup catcher Jason Delay on the injured list with right knee inflammation. Delay joined Grandal and Endy Rodriguez on the injured list, meaning the Pirates had more major league catchers on the IL than they had major league-ready catchers in the minor leagues. The Pirates hoped that Alí Sánchez, a late cut in the spring, would stick around as organizational depth at catcher. But Sanchez elected free agency instead. General manager Ben Cherington had to act quickly to get another catcher in uniform Wednesday night in Washington. Hence the call to the San Francisco Giants and the trade for the young catcher Bart.
All Cherington gave up was minor league pitcher Austin Strickland, who has yet to pitch professionally at any level. The Giants were all too happy to unload an unproductive catcher who no longer fit in with their plans. Meanwhile, Cherington, besides getting the catching help desperately needed, gets a former top prospect into the organization. If the Pirates can unlock the potential that it was once believed Bart possessed, fine. If not, he’ll adequately fill an immediate need.
Breaking Down the Joey Bart Trade
Is Three a Crowd?
It’s crystal clear that Davis will remain the Pirates’ number one catcher. He was in the lineup on Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon. Bart was acquired in the trade for the purpose of filling Delay’s role as the backup catcher.
As for how long of an opportunity Bart will get with the Pirates, let’s do some speculation of our own. It may depend on how long the other catchers stay on the IL. We already know that Rodriguez is out for the season due to elbow surgery. Grandal has been out with plantar fasciitis since spring training. The recovery from that can take weeks or months, and there’s always a possibility of a recurrence. There’s been no word yet on the severity of Delay’s injury. If Delay is only on the IL for the 10 days, he can be optioned to Triple-A if the Pirates decide they want a longer look at Bart.
If Bart performs well, then once Grandal returns from the IL, the Pirates will have a pleasant problem on their hands. The 12-year veteran Grandal was signed as a free agent for $2.5 million. Bart is out of minor league options, meaning he can’t be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers. The fact that Cherington saw fit to give up a player to get him, rather than wait to make a waiver claim, indicates some interest in Bart on the part of other teams. He may not make it through waivers if the Pirates try to send him down.
Joey Bart 2024 Spring Training Stats:
.414/.526/.448 -> .974 OPS
18.4% K Rate
18.4% BB Rate#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/NwIOa3UXiu— Austin Oravec (@AustinOravec) April 3, 2024
Or Is Three Company?
It’s been assumed all along that once Grandal returns, Delay, strong on defense but light on offense, would be sent to the minors. Thus, let’s look at a Pirates team with Davis, Grandal, and Bart, should it come to that. In these times of 13-man bullpens and four-man benches, it’s tough to keep three catchers. It’s easier if one or more of them can play another position. Davis can go to the outfield in a pinch. Grandal has played first base in the majors. So, the Pirates can keep the three catchers and not get caught short at another position. However, that would mean cutting loose Connor Joe or Edward Olivares, which would be nonsensical.
Often, these problems work themselves out. Another player could wind up on the IL, enabling the Pirates to postpone this decision. More likely, one of Grandal or Bart will ultimately have to be traded.
So, Why Trade For Catcher Bart?
The 27-year-old catcher was the second overall draft pick in the 2018 June MLB Amateur Draft out of Georgia Tech. As recently as 2020, Bart was considered a top-20 prospect. Across 2018-19 in the minors, he hit a robust .284/.343/.532 with 29 HR and 88 RBI in 130 games. Without the benefit of time in Triple-A, he was pressed into major-league action in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when Buster Posey opted out. In the majors, Bart has hit just .219/.288/.335 with 11 HR and 38 RBI in parts of four seasons. He turned in a solid Triple-A season in 2021, but his average there declined each year to where he hit .248 in 2023. However, he’s managed a .357 OBP for his career in Triple-A.
Defensively, Bart hasn’t looked ready for prime time. He’s been “worth” -6 Defensive Runs Saved for his career and has thrown out 19 percent of would-be base stealers. On the positive side, for 2023 The Fielding Bible credited him with two Strike Zone Runs Saved, a measure of a catcher’s pitch-framing skills, ranking him 26th in all of baseball.
With the Giants’ 2020 first-round pick and catcher Patrick Bailey having moved ahead of him, Bart was deemed expendable. Besides the immediate need for a major league catcher, Bart is the type of player Cherington would jump at the chance to get. In addition to Bart having been considered a top prospect fairly recently, Cherington values pitch-framing skills and OBP. If Bart’s on-base skills transfer in the majors, coupled with the framing skills, he’ll give the Pirates what they’re looking for in a reserve catcher.
The Last Word
Cherington operates as though he can never accumulate enough talent, which is a good way to operate. He also avoids making snap judgments on a player, which is another good way to operate. The guess here is that Bart will stick around with the Pirates for the time being. Like Jiman Choi in 2023, Grandal, who’s under a one-year deal anyway, will be traded before Pirates fans get to know him. Of course, Grandal was signed to share catching duties with Davis while serving as a guiding light for him. But with Grandal’s injury, Davis emerging as a legitimate major league catcher, and Bart’s availability, things have changed. If Bart realizes his potential as a Pirate, the Bucs will go into 2025 with Bart, Davis, and Rodriguez in camp, and that will be another article.
Photo Credit: © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
