Pittsburgh Pirates: Checking in on Players Traded This Past Offseason

Jack Hartman

Jack Hartman was the Pirates’ 4th round pick back in 2020. An under-slot deal, Hartman was a relief pitching prospect out of Appalachian State. Hartman barely pitched in the Pirates’ system, undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to 2021, and tossing just 18.1 innings in 2022. He allowed 13 earned runs while walking 16, showing off some good stuff, but a whole lot of command issues.

The Pirates sent Hartman to the Tampa Bay Rays in a one-for-one swap for Ji-Man Choi. Hartman is currently at the Rays’ Low-A affiliate, where he has a solid 3.64 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP through 47 frames. Hartman has struck out 27% of the batters he’s faced with a workable 10.5% walk rate. He’s also only allowed two home runs with a ground ball rate at 50% on the dot.

While on the surface this does look like it could work out for the Rays, keep in mind that Hartman is already 25 and the Rays have yet to feel inclined to promote him above Low-A. Hartman throws hard, coming in around the mid-90s, though has some obvious command issues. The Pirates already traded Choi, including him in the Rich Hill swap for Alfonso Rivas, Jackson Wolf, and Estuar Suero.