Pittsburgh Pirates designate catcher Christian Bethancourt for assignment

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt for assignment less than a week after selecting his contract. Pittsburgh acquired the 35-year-old from the New York Yankees on August 19 in exchange for cash considerations. While Bethancourt recorded a.270 batting average with 14 home runs at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, he did not appear in a game for the Pirates following his September 1 promotion. He was moved to the minors again after the roster designation. With the minor league season scheduled to conclude on September 20, Bethancourt must decide whether to remain with the Triple-A affiliate or reject the assignment to pursue free agency. He has not appeared in a major league game since 2024.

• 11:30 AMYahoo Sports — Yankees Trade Castoff Sent Back To Minors After Very Short Stint