The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, but Chris Getz managed to make one last addition for the Chicago White Sox.
With catching being one of the organization’s most pressing needs, the White Sox added Joey Bart in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-hander Duncan Davitt.
Davitt was the White Sox No. 30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, after being acquired in a trade that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay last season. The White Sox also chose to keep Davitt protected during the Rule 5 draft, with Getz saying at the time that they viewed him as a versatile pitcher who could help eat innings out of the bullpen.
However, Davitt was having a rough go of things in Triple-A Charlotte, posting a 6.22 ERA across 59.1 innings.
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To make room for Bart on the roster, the White Sox optioned Edgar Quero to Triple-A Charlotte. Both Quero and Drew Romo have struggled mightily this season, both at the plate and defensively behind it. But while Quero likely has the higher offensive ceiling, Romo is out of minor league options and is a better defender, which may have ultimately been the deciding factor in the decision.
Adding Bart to the mix gives the White Sox a more experienced presence behind the plate, but on paper, it represents only a slight offensive upgrade, although the bar was already incredibly low to clear.
Bart has split time between the Pirates and Braves this season, posting a modest .680 OPS. While those numbers are far from impressive, they still represent an improvement over the production the White Sox have received from their other catchers. Romo has posted a .480 OPS this season, while Quero has struggled to a .492 mark.
The seven-year MLB veteran owns a career .238/.319/.370 slash line, with his best season coming in 2024 when he set career highs with 13 home runs and a .265 batting average. However, like Romo and Quero, Bart has struggled with swing-and-miss issues, posting a career strikeout rate of nearly 30%. He also does not provide much value through plate discipline, carrying an 8.1% walk rate that sits slightly below the MLB average.
Where Bart provides a more significant upgrade is behind the plate. Quero ranked in the MLB’s 4th percentile in blocking and 16th percentile in pitch framing, while Bart 69th percentile in blocking and 26th percentile in pitch framing.
Getz told reporters that he believes the combination of Bart and Romo will “set us up for wins here when it comes to the month of August” as the club buys time until Kyle Teel is ready to return in September.
But as things currently stand, Bart represents only a marginal upgrade at the position, especially with more impactful options available on the trade market, including Tyler Stephenson and Adley Rutschman. Instead, Getz took a more conservative approach, choosing to address the position without sacrificing the organization’s top prospects.
The frustration is less about acquiring Bart and more about the opportunity cost. With the White Sox unexpectedly in contention, there was an argument to pursue a catcher who could provide a meaningful upgrade both offensively and defensively.
While there is nothing wrong with not wanting to mortgage the future, given the state of the American League this season and how well the White Sox are playing, it was disappointing to see that Getz didn’t aggressively pursue a more impactful addition.
