SF Giants: Three reasons to trade catcher Joey Bart

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.

Reason #2: Buster Posey

Buster Posey has two more years left on the 8 year, $159 million contract he signed with the SF Giants. This includes a $22 million team option with a $3 million buyout for 2022. We know that before Posey opted out of the 2020 season, he had been steadily declining. Injuries had limited his ability to hit for power and was hurting his abilities at the plate overall.

He showed flashes of his old self in 2020 Spring Training before the world was flipped upside down, but it remains to be seen whether that old self will return in 2021. However, if Buster is as healthy as he appeared to be entering Spring Training last year and can stay fairly healthy throughout the season, then I think we can expect much better performance than his 2019 numbers.

So, what if Buster does turn things around this season and perhaps next season? Then, SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris will have a tough decision to make. They could sign Posey to another contract, almost ensuring that he would retire as a San Francisco Giant, a fitting end for a living legend who was instrumental in bringing three championships to San Francisco.

Or, they could decide that it is not worth signing Posey to another deal and that it is time to move on at the catcher position. There are many variables in this equation, the main one being how Buster performs in 2021.

It is a choice similar to the one the San Francisco 49ers had to make when they traded Joe Montana late in his career to make way for Steve Young. If Bart was traded, it would be more like when the New England Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo instead of Tom Brady even though there were some who felt Garoppolo was the future of the position for the team.

Trading Bart would at least clear up any potential controversy that could come up between Bart and Posey.

Reason #3: Maybe he is a bust

I will preface this by reiterating that we cannot read too much into Bart struggling in a weird, shortened season that took place in the midst of a global pandemic, the same way that we should not have totally anointed him had he had an incredible season.

Nonetheless, the SF Giants will need to monitor Bart’s progression in the minors to see if he can build upon his weaknesses that were exposed last season such as his struggles with inside pitches.

There is also the question of Bart’s ability to stay on the field. To be fair, the injuries he has sustained in minor league ball were often freak injuries. However, if we learned anything from Jeremy Affeldt it is that some guys are just cursed with the freak injury bug.

If the team sees alarming signs in the minors, though, then it may be wise to cut their losses before it is too late. Bart still has value for a lot of teams considering he is still only 24 so he could be an enticing trade chip unless it is clear he was not all he cracked up to be.

It is still fairly unlikely that the Giants plan on trading Joey Bart any time soon, but if they were to do it there are some valid justifications. Some time in the minors is bound to do him some good and being able to learn more from Buster Posey will also help in his progression. But if the SF Giants feel that they can improve the team, especially in the starting pitching department, then they should not hesitate to entertain offers for Bart.