The Pirates acquired right-hander Hunter Stratton from the Braves for catcher Joey Bart, the club announced late Thursday night. Stratton will be sent to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Stratton was originally selected by the Pirates in the 16th round of the 2017 Draft out of Walters State Community College in Tennessee. The 29-year-old has appeared in one game for Atlanta this season, throwing one scoreless inning.
At Triple-A Gwinnett, he has a 4.38 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Stratton has struck out 24 batters and walked 16. He previously pitched for Pittsburgh in MLB in 47 games between 2023-25. He was designated for assignment before being traded on July 1, 2025, for outfielder Titus Dumitru and cash.
Bart was placed on the injured list on May 12 (retroactive May 10) with a left foot infection. He began a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on June 10 and was transferred to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 12.
The former No. 2 overall Draft pick by the Giants in 2018 spent the last three seasons in the Pirates' organization. With his return from injury nearing, the trade solves a catching question Pittsburgh was soon going to answer, already having Henry Davis as a strong defensive option and Endy Rodríguez as an emerging bat.
Stratton adds a right-handed relief option for Pittsburgh as it continues to search for answers in the bullpen. The Pirates rank 12th in the National League in bullpen ERA at 4.43.