Addition of free-agent catcher could finish Bart’s stay in S.F.

Joey Bart’s time with the San Francisco Giants might be coming to an end after the team agreed to terms with backup catcher Tom Murphy on a twoyear deal that includes a club option for 2026.

Murphy, 32, will make $8.25 million guaranteed, sources confirmed, and the total value of the deal could reach $12 million.

The Giants are looking at the trade market for a shortstop, and Bart could be packaged with a young pitcher or two and perhaps one of the team’s extra outfielders in exchange for someone such as San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim, who is 28 and under team control through 2026. Willy Adames of the Brewers is another potential target.

This isn’t Murphy’s first goround with the Giants — San Francisco claimed him for four days in 2019 before trading him to Seattle for right-hander Jesus Ozoria, who has not played since that season. Murphy, a right-handed hitter, spent four seasons with the Mariners and hit .250 with a .784 OPS and 38 homers, including 18 in 2019. He missed much of last season with a hand injury.

Bart, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, was bypassed by now-starter Patrick Bailey and Rule-5 catcher-outfielder Blake Sabol on the depth chart and spent most of last season at Triple-A Sacramento.

In 162 major-league games, Bart, 27, has a .219 average, 11 homers and a .623 OPS. In 90 games between Sacramento and San Francisco last year, he hit six homers and struck out 92 times. In 2022, he struck out 112 times in 261 big-league at-bats.

Bailey is without question the primary catcher after leading the majors in most defensive metrics and being named a Gold Glove finalist.