Astros rumors point to surprising Pirates trade twist

The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of most active teams this winter, and for a time, it looked as though the Houston Astros could help the Buccos finish off their offseason in style by trading for Isaac Paredes. The Pirates have been searching for an upgrade at third base for the past several months.

Those talks stalled, however. The Pirates turned their attention to Eugenio Suárez — who eventually signed with the Cincinnati Reds — and rather than continuing their pursuit of Paredes, signed Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette (subscription required) is reporting that the Pirates payroll — nearly $105 million — is close to maxed out, meaning the addition of Paredes at this stage would likely push them past their comfort zone. But that doesn't mean that the two sides can't work a deal for another player.

Astros Rumors: Pirates catcher Joey Bart could could be traded

According to Mackey, Pittsburgh catcher Joey Bart was part of the discussions between the Astros and Pirates involving Paredes. Mackey suggests that Bart could still be on the trade block, and after seeing Yainer Diaz's name pop up in injury reports this week, adding the Pirates backstop would be a wise investment on the part of the Astros.

After a successful career at Georgia Tech, Bart was drafted by the San Francisco Giants back in 2018 and was supposed to be the heir apparent to Buster Posey. Bart was taken with the No. 2 overall pick, but never lived up to the hype.

Bart made it to the big leagues in 2020 and posted a rather anemic 233/.288/.320 slash line through his first 33 games in the majors. His bat always seemed to lag behind, and he was yo-yo'd back and forth between the Giants active roster and the minors for two seasons. Bart finally joined San Fran's Opening Day roster in 2023, but continued to struggle and was traded to Pittsburgh in 2024.

During his two seasons in the Steel City, Bart's hit a respectable .257/.347/.398 with a 110 wRC+. The Astros could do a lot worse than Bart as the backup behind Diaz, and at the moment, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Cesar Salazar. Bart is under team control through 2027 and is owed just $2.53 million in 2026. The Astros have been leery about adding extra money to the books, but that amount is negligible.

Bart would bring another right-handed bat into the equation — something the Astros don't need — but they're still looking to find a trade partner for Paredes, which could yield that elusive left-handed hitting outfielder they're seeking.