Brett Sullivan joins his third organization
With Endy Rodriguez on the IL and Joey Bart taking time off to work through his lower back tightness, Henry Davis is the only catcher on the active roster. Abrahan Gutierrez, who has had little hitting success in the minor leagues, is on the taxi squad. In hindsight, the Pirates could use Jason Delay right now, who was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the end of Spring Training, since he had no options left.
Ben Cherington swung a deal with the San Diego Padres this afternoon, swapping current Triple-A players and receiving cash considerations. The Padres reunite with OF Bryce Johnson, who spent last season in their organization and appeared in 47 games with the big league club. The Pirates get their catcher in 31-year-old Brett Sullivan, a 17th-round pick in the 2015 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays who has been in the Padres organization since 2022 and has had great success at the plate in Triple-A El Paso in the last three years.
Although Sullivan has been more of a contact hitter during his minor league career, he hit 17 home runs in 101 games for El Paso last year, a season high. He also had two short stints with the Padres over the previous two years. In 2023, he appeared in 33 games, only hit .210 with a homer, and hit one in his seven games with the team in 2024.
If Joey Bart isn’t ready to return to the lineup within the next day or two, expect Sullivan to join the big league club.