The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed two concerns in one trade Thursday night, sending catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton.
The move sends Bart, a native of Buford, Ga., and Georgia Tech product, back to his hometown team and clears a crowded catching situation for the Pirates. It also provides another arm for their bullpen, as Stratton returns to the team that drafted him and where he made his MLB debut.
Stratton was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Bart, a 6-foot-2, 242-pound right-handed hitter, batted .259/.290/.379 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs in 21 games this season before going on the 10-day injured list with an infection in his left foot May 12. He’s been on a rehabilitation assignment this week and his return would have forced the Pirates to make a roster move.
Endy Rodriguez has been splitting time with Henry Davis in Bart’s absence and has earned more playing time by batting .267/.413/.467 with three doubles, three homers and eight RBIs in 23 games.
The 29-year-old Stratton was selected in the 16th round by the Pirates in 2017 and made his MLB debut in September 2023. He was 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, 44 strikeouts and 12 walks in 52 1/3 innings over 47 appearances in three seasons with the Pirates, earning one save.
The Pirates designated Stratton for assignment in June 2025, trading him to the Braves for outfielder Titus Dumitru and cash considerations five days later. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and five walks in 17 1/3 innings over 13 appearances for the Braves the past two seasons. He was designated for assignment Wednesday.