The Braves are moving on from Joey Bart, and the timing says plenty. With the trade deadline just about an hour away, Atlanta has reportedly agreed to send its backup catcher to the White Sox in exchange for 26-year-old rookie right-hander Duncan Davitt, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Bart’s stint in Atlanta ends with modest numbers, but his bat mattered more than the raw line might suggest. He finished with a .188/.316/.375 slash line, a .313 wOBA, 96 wRC+, and two home runs. That’s hardly eye-popping production, but it was still a welcome lift compared with what the Braves were getting at catcher while Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy were both dealing with injury issues.
The deal also appears to clear the path for Murphy’s return to the roster, which is the bigger development for Atlanta. Murphy’s offense can be streaky, but his defense is a major asset at a position where that matters a lot. Getting him back gives the Braves a chance to finally roll out their primary catching tandem for the first time in what feels like forever.
Davitt, meanwhile, comes over in a very different spot in his career. He logged his first career big-league strikeout just one day ago, and now he’s already changing teams.
He had appeared in only two games for the White Sox before the move. Chicago, and the Rays before them, had been using him as a starter in the minors, though he was recently brought up as a reliever.
Atlanta is expected to use him in a similar relief role once he makes his big-league debut for the club.
In Other News...
Braves Just Cleared Two Roster Spots For A Bigger Deadline Shift
The Braves used the deadline to shuffle the margins of their roster, dealing catcher Joey Bart to the White Sox and sending outfielder Eli White to the Red Sox in separate moves. In return, Atlanta picked up right-hander Duncan Davitt and minor league reliever Tyler Uberstine, with the latter optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, a sign these were as much about clearing space as adding immediate help.
Those openings matter because the roster is not done changing. Atlanta has a potential return behind the plate looming in Sean Murphy, and another outfield addition in Lane Thomas could soon fit into the mix as well, giving the club a little more flexibility for the stretch run. For a team trying to line up the right pieces after deadline day, the next round of moves may end up being the more interesting part of this one. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Take Another Rotation Gamble With Tyler Mahle
The Braves dipped back into the rotation market with another move aimed at stabilizing the back end of their staff, acquiring right-hander Tyler Mahle from the Giants for right-hander Anthony Molina. Mahle has logged 18 starts this season in San Francisco, and while the results have been uneven, Atlanta is clearly banking on a change of scenery and a different voice to get more out of him down the stretch.
Jeremy Hefner now gets the challenge of helping Mahle sharpen things up in Atlanta, where the Braves have made it a priority to keep searching for usable innings. Molina had only thrown five innings for the club in 2026, so this is the kind of deal that says the Braves are willing to keep tinkering if they think there is still a path to more reliable starting help. [Read more 🡒]