Joey Bart Traded from Giants to Pirates; Former No. 2 Overall MLB Draft Pick

Joey Bart, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, is going to get an opportunity for a fresh start with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh acquired Bart from the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, with right-handed pitching prospect Austin Strickland going to San Francisco in the deal.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman and Fansided's Robert Murray first reported the deal.

Bart was designated for assignment by the Giants prior to Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres.

The move brought an end to a disappointing run for Bart in San Francisco. He was a highly touted prospect coming out of Georgia Tech when he was selected No. 2 overall six years ago.

San Francisco's hope was that Bart would be able to develop as the heir apparent at catcher when Buster Posey's career ended. He was considered a top-20 prospect going into the 2020 season, but he hadn't played above Double-A at that point.

Posey opted out of playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Giants elected to go with Bart as their starting catcher for the shortened season. He struggled in his first exposure to big league pitching, hitting .233/.288/.320 in 33 games as a rookie.

The return of Posey in 2021 pushed Bart back down to the minors. He did appear in two games at the MLB level, but he fared well in the hitter-friendly environment in Triple-A with a .294/.358/.472 slash line in 67 games with the Sacramento River Cats.

After Posey's retirement following the 2021 season, Bart had an opportunity to earn the starting job in 2022. He played a career-high 97 games, but he only hit .215/.296/.364 with 11 homers in 291 plate appearances.

Patrick Bailey won the starting job going into last season, with Bart as the primary backup.

Bart was the Giants' No. 3 catcher coming into 2024, behind Bailey and Tom Murphy. The team had to call up Daulton Jefferies from Triple-A to start on Sunday, with Bart being designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Pirates currently have Henry Davis as their starting catcher, with Jason Delay as their backup. Yasmani Grandal, who was set to be on the roster to start the season, is on the injured list with a foot issue that he's been dealing with since spring training.

Bart is out of minor league options and will have to be kept on the big league roster. He could elect free agency if the Pirates try to send him down, though that would seem unlikely since they traded for him.

Strickland, meanwhile, was an eighth-round pick by the Giants in the 2023 draft. He has yet to appear in a minor-league game. The 21-year-old went 4-2 with a 5.04 ERA in 20 games at the University of Kentucky last year.