The San Francisco Giants have decided to designate catcher Joey Bart for assignment, despite being a top prospect and the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft. The team had hoped that Bart would be the successor to Buster Posey, but that did not materialize as expected. Bart has played in 162 games for the Giants with a .219/.288/.335 slash line and now faces being waived or traded as he has no minor-league options left.
On the other hand, the Giants have announced the purchase of pitcher Daulton Jefferies’ contract from Triple-A Sacramento. Jefferies, another former first-round pick, has struggled with injuries in his career but had an impressive showing in camp. He is set to start for the Giants against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, looking to make an impact in the major leagues.
Despite having high expectations for Bart, his game has always had some swing-and-miss issues with high strikeout rates, leading to disappointing offensive output during his time in the majors. Defensively, he has underperformed as well, making his future with the Giants uncertain. In contrast, Jefferies’ purchase marks a different direction for the team as they look towards rebuilding their pitching rotation with young talent.
If given another chance to do it over, it is likely that the Giants would opt for different draft choices such as pitchers like Shane McClanahan or Logan Gilbert instead of selecting Bart. However, this move is a significant step forward for Jefferies and provides him with an opportunity to prove himself at the major league level after struggling with injuries throughout his career.
