The Pittsburgh Pirates swap Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves for a familiar arm, but Hunter Stratton's high walk rate and recent demotion raise questions about his ability to stabilize a struggling relief corps.
General manager Ben Cherington’s first move to try to fix the Pittsburgh Pirates’ broken bullpen does not inspire a lot of confidence.
The Pirates acquired right-hander Chris Stratton from the Atlanta Braves late Thursday night in a trade for catcher Joey Bart. Stratton is 29 and is not deemed worthy of pitching in the major leagues now, as he was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
It was surprising that Pittsburgh couldn’t get a better return for Bart. Though Bart has never lived up to his billing as the second overall selection in the 2018 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants, he is a legitimate major-league catcher.
The move feels like a bit of a salary dump as the Braves assume the remainder of Bart’s $2.53-million salary.
Yet, regardless of any potential financial motives, it’s fair to question if Stratton can provide a big enough boost that the Pirates, whose 4.46 relief ERA ranks 20th in MLB, if or when he is called up. Stratton pitched one scoreless inning in his lone major-league appearance this season but had a 4.38 ERA in 21 games for Triple-A Gwinnett with an alarming 16 walks in 24 2/3 innings.
The Pirates are familiar with Stratton and admire his determination. Stratton was Pittsburgh’s 16th-round draft pick in 2017 from Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn., and it took six years before he made his big-league debut late in the 2023 season.
Stratton had a league-average 4.30 ERA in 47 games over three seasons with the Pirates from 2023-25. Stratton tore the patellar tendon in his left knee in a freak accident in 2024 while backing up home plate, and doctors thought he would be sidelined well into last season.
Yet he pitched in Grapefruit League games before spring training ended, though he was designated for assignment in June and dealt to the Braves in a waiver trade.
“He had some really good outings for us, some good years,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said Friday night before a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series at Coors Field in Denver. “Unfortunately, the one year where he hurt his knee was gruesome, and fortunately, he’s doing better now. But I think it was a speed bump for sure for him.”
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