Yankees-Pirates trade pitch isn’t the deal New York fans are hoping for originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Much has been said about the Paul Skenes rumors, connecting the Cy Young Award winner from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the New York Yankees.
But for now, those are just rumors. Yankees fans may one day see Skenes wearing the pinstripes, but the Pirates have no plans to trade their ace anytime soon.
The Yankees and Pirates could connect on another trade, however. This year’s deadline is especially important for New York because it needs a right-handed hitting catcher now more than ever.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote Tuesday that a former second overall pick could be a good fit.
“However, I think more realistic options include Ryan Jeffers of the Twins (once he gets healthy), Agustín Ramírez of the Marlins, Joey Bart of the Pirates, Carson Kelly of the Cubs, Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks and Keibert Ruiz of the Nationals,” Bowden wrote.
Yankees linked to Joey Bart
Since failing to live up to expectations as a highly touted prospect with the San Francisco Giants, Bart has turned into a better player on both sides of the ball with the Pirates.
Just two seasons ago, the 29-year-old hit a career-high 13 home runs and posted a 121 OPS+ in 80 games. Bart is currently on the injured list with an infection in his left foot, but recently began a rehab assignment.
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Is he the top option at backup catcher for the Yankees? Probably not. But he’s shown he can provide decent pop while playing average to slightly below average defense behind the plate.
Perhaps Bart can take another step towards becoming the player the Giants thought he would become with support from the Yankees’ coaching staff.
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