Pirates Acquire Christian Bethancourt

The Yankees have traded catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Pirates for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. Trades are allowed after the deadline if the player’s contract has not been selected to the 40-man roster, as MLBTR explained earlier this month. Bethancourt has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis but is expected to join the big league club’s taxi squad in Los Angeles this weekend.

Bethancourt, 34, is a veteran of eight big league seasons but has only been in the minors so far this year. He began the campaign with the Cubs on a minor league deal. He was released in July and then signed a minors deal with the Yanks.

Between those two clubs, Bethancourt has stepped to the plate 249 times at the Triple-A level this year. His combined line of .270/.320/.491 translates to a wRC+ of 100, indicating he has been exactly league average offensively. In his big league career, Bethancourt has 1,301 plate appearances with 35 home runs but a very low 3.7% walk rate, leading to a .229/.259/.362 line and 71 wRC+. His framing has been subpar but his defense has earned solid marks apart from that.

The Pirates put Endy Rodríguez on the injured list earlier this month with inflammation in his left hip. That leaves them with a catching duo of Henry Davis and Rafael Flores. In addition to his time behind the plate, Flores has been taking the short side of a first base platoon, since he swings from the right side and Spencer Horwitz hits from the left.

Since Bethancourt is linking up with the big league club, it’s possible the Bucs are planning to add him to the roster. Both Davis and Flores have options and could be sent to the minors, though it’s also possible they want to have a three-catcher setup so that they can have a backstop on the bench when Davis and Flores are both in the lineup. Flores is hitting a ton right now and shouldn’t be at risk of a demotion. Davis doesn’t have big numbers at the plate but is strong on defense. A corresponding 40-man move would be required if Bethancourt is getting a spot.