Pirates acquire onetime top prospect Joey Bart from Giants, DFA pitcher Colin Selby
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The Pittsburgh Pirates made another trade Tuesday evening, acquiring catcher Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league pitcher Austin Strickland.
In a corresponding transaction, right-hander Colin Selby was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Once a top prospect considered the heir apparent to Buster Posey, Bart, 27, has appeared in 162 games with the Giants over parts of four seasons, batting .219 with 11 home runs and 16 RBIs.
He made San Francisco’s Opening Day roster in 2023 and went on to play 30 games with the Giants, hitting .207 with five RBIs. In 60 games with Triple-A Sacramento, Bart hit .248 with six homers, 28 RBIs and a .750 OPS.
Bart’s father, Tommy Bart, graduated in 1979 from Burrell, where he was a multi-sport standout. Against Leechburg in 1977, he became the first Burrell football player to score five touchdowns in a game, a record that stood until Cole Bush broke it in 2012. Tommy Bart was chosen by the Pirates in the 29th round of the 1979 MLB draft, but opted to go to Miami-Dade JC.
An uncle of Joey’s, Jeff Bartosiewicz, was a two-way tackle for Burrell’s WPIAL championship teams of 1967 and ‘68 before the family shortened its surname.
Strickland, 21, was an eighth-round (No. 227) pick by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Kentucky.
He has yet to make his professional baseball debut.
Selby, 26, made his MLB debut with the Pirates last August and went on to appear in 21 games, starting five while posting a 2-2 record and 9.00 ERA over 24 innings of work.
He was most recently optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on March 12.
Earlier Tuesday, the Pirates swapped pitcher Jackson Wolf for infielder Kervin Pichardo with San Diego.
The Pirates’ 40-man roster is now full.
George Guido contributed.