Pirates Acquire Catcher Christian Bethancourt From New York (AL)

The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired catcher Christian Bethancourt from New York (AL), in exchange for cash considerations. Bethancourt, who was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis after being acquired, is expected to join Pittsburgh’s Major League taxi squad in Los Angeles this weekend.

The 34-year-old Bethancourt (turns 35 on September 2) has hit a combined .270 (62-for-230) with nine doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBI, an .811 OPS and 35 runs scored in 67 minor league games split between Iowa (Cubs’ Triple-A, 59 games) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees’ Triple-A, eight games) this season.

The native of Panamá City, Panamá, has batted a combined .229 (284-for-1241) with 60 doubles, 35 home runs, 135 RBI and 149 runs scored over 428 career Major League games split between Atlanta (2013-15), San Diego (2016-17), Oakland (2022), Tampa Bay (2022-23), Miami (2024) and Chicago-NL (2024).

He also appeared in three postseason games with the Rays in 2022 (two games) and 2023 (one game).

Bethancourt spent the 2021 campaign with Indianapolis, where he hit .281 (93-for-331) with 18 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 60 RBI, an .807 OPS and 46 runs scored over 92 games that season