When the Pittsburgh Pirates were first linked to Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes this offseason, it felt like a clean fit. He’s a right-handed pull hitter tailor-made for PNC Park’s short left field porch, not to mention a legitimate everyday third baseman to stabilize a position that’s leaned too heavily on defense-first production.

Now, after the Marcell Ozuna signing, those talks have cooled. But the most intriguing detail to surface might outlast the Paredes conversation itself: catcher Joey Bart was discussed as part of the return.

Bart’s resurgence in Pittsburgh has been real. Over the past two seasons, he’s posted a .745 OPS and 110 wRC+, producing 1.3 fWAR in back-to-back campaigns. That places him quietly among the top 25 catchers in baseball since 2024.

However, Bart is part of a bigger logjam in Pittsburgh. Ben Cherington has publicly expressed confidence in Henry Davis, Endy Rodríguez and Rafael Flores Jr. handling significant workloads behind the dish, and the Pirates can’t carry four catchers.

Eventually, someone becomes surplus, and Bart — arbitration-eligible, affordable at $2.53 million, and under control through 2027 — might be the most marketable of the group.

Joey Bart emerges as trade chip in Pirates’ pursuit of third base help

Even if talks have cooled, the Astros remain a clean fit for Bart. After losing Victor Caratini to free agency, their depth chart currently features Yainer Diaz as the starter and César Salazar as the projected backup, with Carlos Pérez in camp as a non-roster option.

Diaz started 111 games last year, ranking high in defensive innings — but Houston doesn’t really have a proven secondary option behind him. Bart would instantly stabilize that room. He could spell Diaz more regularly, provide competent defense, and add above-average offensive production for the position.

If Houston is motivated to add catching depth, Pittsburgh might be able to structure a larger package — one that not only targets a third baseman like Paredes but also clears redundancy elsewhere. Jack Suwinski remains one of the more puzzling fits on the Pirates’ roster, having shown flashes of power but failing to lock down an everyday role.

The Astros, meanwhile, remain heavily right-handed and could use left-handed power depth. Suwinski’s streaky profile might actually play better in Houston’s lineup construction than it currently does in Pittsburgh’s.

A Bart-centered deal that also moves Suwinski could address third base, reduce the Pirates’ catcher logjam, restructure the outfield mix, and potentially improve Pittsburgh’s roster flexibility heading into Opening Day.

The Pirates have catching depth. They need infield certainty. That kind of organizational imbalance often leads to action. If Houston circles back — or if another club like Tampa Bay or Boston reconsiders its catching situation — Bart could be the key that unlocks Pittsburgh’s next move.