Pirates catcher Joey Bart is drawing some trade interest, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Hiles adds that teams interested in Bart (including at least one AL club) are valuing him as a potential bench bat to hit left-handed pitching, rather than as a starting catcher.
That’s understandable, given the season Bart has had. The 28-year-old has appeared in 64 games for Pittsburgh this season with a .244/.343/.302 (87 wRC+) slash line in 236 plate appearances. He’s combined that with below average defense across the board behind the plate and especially weak framing numbers. With that said, Bart has raked against southpaws with a .333/.424/.451 (150 wRC+) line against them in 59 plate appearances this year. Bart performing well against lefties is also consistent with his career, as his career 106 wRC+ against southpaws is 21 points higher than his mark against right-handers.
That ability to crush left-handed pitching would make Bart a strong bench option for a team that struggles against lefties like the Royals (76 wRC+), Rangers (77 wRC+), or Reds (77 wRC+). The Reds and Rangers already have a lefty-mashing backup catcher in Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka respectively, but the Royals would be a particularly interesting fit as Bart represents a clear upgrade over Luke Maile and could pair with Freddy Fermin in future seasons behind the plate if this is franchise stalwart Salvador Perez’s final year in Kansas City. The Royals have a middling 54-55 record but are just three games out of a Wild Card spot and have already acquired Randal Grichuk and Adam Frazier this summer. Bart is controlled through the 2027 season, so he could be a sensible addition for teams that aren’t squarely all-in on 2025.
Bart may not fit other teams quite as perfectly as he does the Royals, but there are still some other interesting fits. The Padres are known to be in desperate need of catching help and Bart would be an offensive upgrade over either Elias Diaz or Martin Maldonado. The Rays and Mets could be other solid fits, although Tampa’s recent acquisitions of Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia seemingly leave them well-stocked in terms of catching talent while the Mets might be reluctant to part with the top-shelf defense backup catcher Luis Torrens is providing behind the plate.
The Pirates face an interesting dilemma regarding Bart. The 28-year-old’s 2024 season looked at the time to be a breakout performance as he slashed an excellent .265/.337/.462 (121 wRC+) with 13 homers in just 80 games, and there surely would’ve been clubs intrigued by Bart as a potential starting catcher last winter after that performance. That could make holding onto him in hopes he bounces back offensively to raise his value a worthwhile course of action, particularly given his remaining team control. On the other hand, 2024 is the only time across parts of six seasons in the majors where Bart has looked like an above-average offensive player, and with both Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez looking for an opportunity to develop behind the plate next year perhaps the Pirates should get something for Bart now if they can and more fully devote the catcher position to their former top prospects next year.
Without looking at any of his numbers, I can confidently say he would be an upgrade to Connor Wing in Boston.
Wong is 3 for 7 with 2 doubles in his last two starts so hopefully that’s a sign he’s coming out of his season long rut. The Sox already cycled trough one ex-Giants Catcher this season, they don’t need another one
The Connor Wing of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is a fine place for an afternoon nap
Nice and quiet in there
Without looking at his numbers I can confidently say that Joey is a massive headcase. There’s a reason SF dumped him for nothing.
I’d keep Bart just because his value is low and the return won’t be much.
I’d trade him just to clear playing time for Davis. Let him sink or swim the rest of this year and determine if you need to address C this offseason
who backs up Davis if Bart is traded.
Henry certainly can’t play every game
It just makes no sense to trade low on Bart without another C coming in.
Who cares? Anybody. These last 2 months don’t matter anyway
Depends on the return. Stallings is out there. Could get him to finish out the year, then look in the off-season.
not just anyone can catch pitches thrown 100+ mph or throw out runners in a squatting position.
SMH at the sheer ignorance of people who post here
Sullivan till Gutierrez comes off the 60 day in a couple of weeks.
Endy maybe back in 2026, until then they can put anyone back there.
Duno if Endy will stick but Davis may not either and Bart really isn’t lighting it up in anyway so even if Endy doesn’t stick they’re not losing much.
Yea I have no faith in Henry Davis and he’s 25 now. I’ve at least seen some potential in Bart at 28. Worst case scenario is you play Bart in a platoon and just let him play against lefties! Find someone who can hit righties!
I’m not giving up on a #1 overall pick that easily, sorry. When he was drafted he was seen as offense first defense second. Now he’s figured out the defense. I have to believe the bat is still in there somewhere, there’s no reason not to give him playing time to see if he can find it. Spencer Torkelson also struggled offensively at first too.
Only the Pirates would’ve made him first overall! I’m not giving up on him because I don’t think he will figure it out. I’m saying you shouldn’t trade Bart when he has no value!
If he’s drawing interest he has some value, and considering we got him for nothing I’m fine with it. He’s bad defensively and has lost his power, his only good asset. Trade him for what you can.
This is dumb, he’s still young, and he’s absolutely destroyed AAA pitching which means that there is some kind of disconnect in the Pirate’s major league staff. The tools are there, we need an overhaul on the hitting side of the coaching staff.
If true the pirates better add ML ready talent
You think a backup catcher is gonna fetch a major league talent? They’ll either get a 19 yr old pitcher or a 28 yr old AAA infielder.
Then don’t trade him
Whats the point in keeping him though? He’s not a very good defender and last year looks like a fluke offensively. 2026 needs to be devoted to Davis and Rodriguez to see if theres anything there with either of them. Bart is expendable.
or a MLB pen arm with some sort of control.
Hes a backup/platoon catcher that you no one would have a real problem putting out everyday if there is an issue with the primary catcher.
He isn’t going to fill the farm but getting some one decent at a lower demand position like middle relief isn’t that far out of scope. All depends on how motivated they are to make a trade.
Remember when the Pirates had two top prospects at C (Henry and Rodríguez). Now the position org wide is a sink hole of suck and Bart is the least barf-inducing of their options (but still like a mild dry heave). I guess I’d keep him since what of value are they going to get back?
yeah they had no catchers in the pipeline, then had a crap ton and now just some cross your fingers catchers.
They got him off waivers and he was great last year. This year… not so much. Trade him. Davis is kind of awful but i’m starting to like his defense
Davis has been an effective catcher with a strong and pin point arm
Offensively he stinks
its funny, the big rub against Davis’s value was his poor defense and that his bat would carry him.
Me saying he was improving through his short development time drew laughs.
Giants have an opportunity to do the funniest thing ever
Funnier than the Mariners winning the Eugenio sweepstakes vs former teams Cincinnati and Detroit?
It’s only funnier because geno is so much better than Bart but the geno trade is for sure the funniest so far
A lot of people in Pittsburgh seem to have tossed Bart aside for Davis for reasons I don’t know? Davis has become a very good defensive catcher, he has power “potential”, and while I root on him to succeed, his bat just hasn’t come around.
Bart has clear on base skills and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with keeping both of them. Especially if Cutch isn’t around next season. Catchers are so iffy from year to year, never know what to expect. Unless he’s part of a bigger deal which fills a need on the MLB roster, just keep him.
This team has not had a legitimate catcher since Russell Martin and I liked Cervelli a lot but they need another Russ period.
this offense needs so many things it’s difficult to list them all in one paragraph
Cherington got taken on the Hayes trade so I don’t expect him to obtain any players better than what they already have
Davis was a money saver draft and not worthy of the first pick in the draft and now he’s playing to his ability – a backup.
Frisco hasn’t been quite the same without Bart. Tolls and parking too high in San Fran. Better off just chillin in Oaktown w me homies
No need for Bart when you have Waymo
Aren’t the Red Sox looking for catching as well? They have 4 lefties in their Pen wouldn’t be surprised to see them move one here in the next hour.