Giants trade former No. 2 overall draft pick Bart to Pirates

Giants trade former No. 2 overall draft pick Bart to Pirates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES — The Giants knew they were going to lose Joey Bart this week, but they did manage to at least find a trade partner.

Bart was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, two days after the Giants DFA’d him. In exchange, the Giants acquired 21-year-old right-hander Austin Strickland.

The Giants carried Bart through Opening Day in hopes that they could find a trade instead of losing him on waivers. They appear to have at least gotten a lottery ticket out of the decision. Strickland, 21, was a reliever at the University of Kentucky and was taken in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

In Pittsburgh, Bart joins a catching group with plenty of young talent. Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, is their starting catcher, although he has struggled to hit at the big league level.

The Giants will move forward with Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy. Blake Sabol, one of Davis’ good friends, is the third catcher and started the season in Triple-A.

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