Giants send catcher Joey Bart down to minors, acquire Austin Wynns from Phillies
This was expected to be the year Joey Bart stepped in to fill the big shoes Buster Posey left behind. Unfortunately for the young catcher, things aren't going quite as planned.
The San Francisco Giants optioned Bart to Triple-A Sacramento late Tuesday following the team's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Less than 24 hours later, the team also announced they completed a trade for Philadelphia Phillies catcher Austin Wynns.
It hasn't been an easy season thus far for Bart. He's hitting just .156/.296/.300 on the season and has become a backup behind Curt Casali. With so much promise heading into the season, many just assumed he would become the de facto starting catcher without a hitch.
Of course, optioning Bart doesn't mean his stint in the majors is completely over. The 25-year-old can benefit from getting playing time in the minors -- and potentially get some of his confidence back after getting just one hit in his last 11 at-bats. Plus, he has shown he can make game-saving decisions when he is behind the dish, so the defensive side of his game is certainly up to par.
While Bart gets his offensive game on track, the Giants will try to get on a hot streak that has eluded them over the last month. Despite playing competitive baseball, San Francisco is having difficulty stringing wins together. They currently sit in third place in the NL West with a .537 winning percentage and are five-and-a-half games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
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