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