SF Giants: Three reasons to trade catcher Joey Bart

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto #47 of the SF Giants talks to catcher Joey Bart during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on September 21, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

When the SF Giants called up catcher Joey Bart last season, many were hoping that he would set the world on fire. Instead, he struggled for most of the shortened season. This article will examine three reasons why the Giants would end up trading catching prospect.

The first thought many SF Giants fans had when Buster Posey announced that he was not going to play in the shortened 2020 season was that at least the team would be able to have a look at top prospect Joey Bart in the big leagues.

Bart was drafted by the SF Giants second overall in the 2018 MLB Draft with many thinking that he was the heir apparent to Buster Posey behind the plate. He lived up to such expectations in his two stints in Spring Training in 2019 and 2020 by hitting well and displaying power that got Giants fans excited.

When it was announced that Bart was going to be called up, many fans rejoiced. And early on in his stint in the big leagues, he impressed us by slapping doubles to both sides of the field and displaying the strength he had at the plate.

However, as the season wore on he cooled off. He hit .233/.288/.320 with no home runs and 7 RBI. In all, it was a disappointing season at the plate when Bart had been marketed for his ability to hit.

It was also a struggle behind the dish as well, with Bart struggling to get on the same page with Johnny Cueto on more than one occasion and having trouble with signs with other starters as well.

It was not the debut that Bart was hoping for. Now, with Buster Posey set to return as the starting catcher in 2021, there have been some rumblings about Bart possibly being traded.

The fact that Curt Casali was signed by the Giants to a major league deal only feeds the idea that Bart may not factor into the team’s future plans. There is already reporting that he is likely to start 2021 in the minor leagues.

Of course, this may all be an overreaction to a small sample size in a wild year that was tough on everyone. However, it would be unwise for the Giants to not keep their options open when it comes to the backstop.

The following slides will examine three reasons why it would make sense for the SF Giants to trade Joey Bart this offseason.

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