Pirates Re-Sign Catcher to Minor League Deal

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates brought back a catcher who recently sought opportunities elsewhere.

The Pirates designated catcher Brett Sullivan for assignment on June 16, making room on the 40-man roster for right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta, who ended his rehab assignment.

Sullivan cleared waivers and the Pirates sent him outright to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 18.

He then elected free agency June 19, before the Pirates re-signed him to a minor league contract and optioned him to Indianapolis, according to the transactions log.

The Pirates acquired Sullivan from the San Diego Padres in a trade on April 16, sending outfielder Bryce Johnson the other way.

Indianapolis activated Sullivan on April 22 and he played in 20 games, slashing .211/.250/.324 for an OPS of .574, with 15 hits in 71 at-bats, a double, two triples, a home run, 10 RBIs and four walks to 10 strikeouts.

The Pirates selected Sullivan's contract on June 7, addressing depth concerns at catcher.

Endy Rodríguez departed the game vs. the Phillies on June 6 after just the first inning, dealing with right elbow discomfort that prevented him from going further and brought Henry Davis in the game. The Pirates then placed him on the 10-day Injured List.

Joey Bart also suffered a concussion vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 27 and hadn't received clearance.

Sullivan started three games at catcher for the Pirates, the series opener vs. the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on June 9 and both the series opener and the series finale vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, June 12 and June 15. He had one hit in six at-bats, plus a walk and a sacrifice fly, giving him two RBIs.

The Pirates currently have two catchers on the roster in Davis and Bart, who ended his rehab assignment with Indianapolis and rejoined the Pirates.

Sullivan hails from Stockton, Calif., playing for Lincoln High School in the city and then playing collegiately for Pacific.

The Tampa Bay Rays took Sullivan with the No. 508 pick in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Sullivan played six seasons in the minors for the Rays, before electing free agency on Nov. 7, 2021 signing a major league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on Dec. 6.

The Brewers traded Sullivan to the Padres on April 6, 2022, along with outfielder Kory Howell for catcher/first baseman Victor Catarini.

Sullivan spent the 2022 season with Triple-A El Paso, before earning his first MLB call-up on April 16, 2023. He played in 33 games with the Padres that season, slashing .210/.244/.284 for an OPS of .528, with 17 hits in 81 at-bats, three doubles, one home run, six RBIs and four walks to 19 strikeouts.

He played in seven games with the Padres in 2024, with just three hits in 16 at-bats for a .188 batting average.