On Sunday, Pittsburgh Pirates fans were encouraged by the return of Joey Bart, if not general manager Ben Cherington’s comments. Bart, a right-handed hitting catcher who had been the San Francisco Giants’ No. 1 pick (second overall) in the 2018 June Amateur Draft, had been on the injured list with an injured thumb. A surprising in-season trade acquisition, Bart has been the Pirates’ best-hitting catcher by far in 2024. He’s hitting .250/.342/484 with four HR, 12 RBI, and 134 OPS+ in 23 games.
The Pirates are in dire need of offense. The catcher is one of the positions that has provided little offense this season. Veteran Yasmani Grandal, signed for $2.5 million in the spring, has played 37 games behind the dish. He’s hitting .179/.212/.268, 2 HR, 15 RBI, and 37 OPS+. The other catcher to see significant playing time, Henry Davis, is hitting .153/.267/.235, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and 46 OPS+. Davis is currently on a rehab assignment in Double-A Altoona.
Bart needs to be installed as the primary catcher for the Pirates. It was a good sign when he was thrown into the starting lineup right away on Sunday, despite going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two hard-hit balls. Bart should get the bulk of the action behind the plate while the Pirates hope he continues to hit as he did before he went on the IL. In light of recent comments by Cherington, Bart had better.
As Pirates Activate Bart, Cherington’s Comments Disappoint
The Pirates’ disappointing offense is something Cherington has to own. Their .227 team batting average is last in the National League. They’re 13th in runs scored and home runs. Besides Grandal, the other free agent hitters added by Cherington before the season were Michael A. Taylor and Rowdy Tellez. Taylor is hitting .191/.244/.248. He carries a strikeout rate of 34.1 percent. The 21 home runs he hit last year for the Minnesota Twins appear to be an anomaly. After starting slowly, Tellez became a hot hitter in June. The Pirates were looking for more than the four homers he’s hit so far. But if the team had a few more hitters, it could live with what Tellez is doing now. Bart has shown he could be one of those hitters the Pirates need.
Cherington had previously expressed a willingness to trade from the Pirates’ surplus of young pitching prospects for help. He said that’s still on the table on Sunday on his radio show on Pittsburgh’s 93.7-FM, a weekly exercise whereby he attempts to break former Pirates manager Jim Tracy’s team record for most words used while saying nothing. It was there Cherington said, “We’re at a period where it makes sense for us to consider turning certain players — prospects, younger players — into players that can help our major league team improve in the short term. We’re on the phone every day with teams.”
Selling Out to Internal Improvement
Yet on the other hand, Cherington said the Pirates would look for “internal improvement” from their hitters. At that moment, he spoke much about development and didn’t talk like the GM of a contending team. “If we believe in those players, then we got to sell out to that belief and believe that the time that they’re getting in the major leagues, the development, experience they’re getting is going to pay off,” said Cherington. “(T)he numbers say that if that group improves as a group, it’s still going to make a bigger impact than any single external acquisition we can make.”
This will be another season with more buyers than sellers. Among hitters, Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox will be a hot commodity. The Miami Marlins may be peddling Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Josh Bell. Pundits have suggested that a Pirates/Bell reunion makes sense. The internet also has a silly rumor connecting the Pirates to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That has as much chance as the White Sox winning the World Series this season.
Source: Pirates front office loves Vlad Guerrero Jr. And that is the one player they’d be willing to somewhat mortgage the future for….
But Ive also heard Blue Jays want A TON back for him. Multiple people referenced the Soto package the Nats got from the Padres.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) June 27, 2024
Getting Back to Bart and Pirates Catchers
Bart is out of options and must remain with the Pirates, lest they risk losing him on a waiver claim. Grandal’s salary will likely keep him on the Pirates for the duration of the season unless he’s traded. Davis remains on his rehab assignment. On Sunday, Cherington said he was happy with a catching tandem of Bart and Grandal while remaining confident in Davis. Even so, with Davis having options and underperforming, barring an injury or trade, it doesn’t seem he’ll be seen in the majors again this season.
Cherington also praised Grandal’s leadership. There’s no reason to doubt Grandal has these qualities. However, Pirates fans are weary of weak-hitting “leaders” in the lineup. The Pirates need to give Bart the greater part of the playing time behind the plate. His OBP and power numbers should play well in their order. Those numbers are sustainable, too. He hit 11 homers in 97 games for the Giants in 2022. As a minor leaguer in the Giants’ system, he hit 46 home runs and had a .348 OBP in five years.
It will make for an interesting situation next season with Grandal gone. Endy Rodríguez will be healthy and looking to reclaim his spot as the Pirates’ No. 1 catcher. One possible solution would be to platoon the switch-hitter with Bart. This would leave Davis as the odd man out again. Although his 2023 trial in the outfield didn’t work out well, Davis might have to learn another position, or simply be content to be a full-time designated hitter, provided he hits, and Andrew McCutchen decides to retire. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
The Last Word
Meanwhile, Pirates fans might be left with the hope that Cherington’s belief in his current team and coaches pays off. In hindsight, the Pirates were right to be patient with Tellez. It’s the type of thing that probably plays well in a major league clubhouse. Players see that and relax, knowing that the brain trust will stick with them, too, through the rough times.
But players also want to win, and it plays well with them when improvements are made, too. Sticking with Tellez made sense because the season was still young. Now it’s July and the second half has begun. Some of the Pirates haven’t shown enough to justify Cherington’s belief. With a stellar starting rotation and a weaker National League, there’s a rare opportunity in front of the Pirates as they remain in the race for a wild card spot. It would be a shame if Cherington waited until the trade deadline to make improvements. He may find the available inventory has been picked over, like a shopper doing his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.
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