The Pirates made a trade late Thursday, June 18, that added a known face to their bullpen arms, solving the catcher crunch.
The Pirates traded Joey Bart to Atlanta Braves for right-hander Hunter Stratton.
For context, Bart was recovering from an infection discovered on his left foot in May 2026 at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Stratton, 29, has appeared as a pitcher in one scoreless inning in the MLB this season.
He has a career 3.75 ERA in 69 2/3 big league innings.
Stratton has a 4.38 ERA across 21 appearances at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, racking up 24 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.
He provides the Pirates with right-handed depth in the bullpen arms as the Pirates were on the look out for a reliable right-handed reliever this year.
And for Brat, who is out of minor league options, the Pirates were left with retaining three catchers or either the option of Endy Rodriguez or Henry Davis once Brat makes a comeback after rehab.
Instead, Brat has become the man who did not fit in the team’s plans as of now.
Brat is hitting .259 with two homers and has knocked in six runs.
He appeared in four games at Triple-A Indianpolis (which is one step below the majors) and was about to be called back when he was discovered with an infection on his left foot.
The pirates still hold three catchers on their 40-man roster.
2026-06-19 13:59:00
