The Joey Bart era is over for the San Francisco Giants

 Joey Bart was supposed to be the heir to seven-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey.

Instead, Bart's time with the San Francisco Giants has come to an end. The Giants announced that Bart was designated for assignment before Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster for Daulton Jefferies.

Bart had been the second overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Giants' highest draft pick since they selected Will Clark in 1985. MLB.com rated Bart as the Giants' top prospect in 2019, lauding his raw power and bat speed. He was regarded as someone who would stick behind the plate due to his strong arm and solid athleticism. He was expected to be a future star and the perfect person to follow Posey behind the plate.

Bart was unable to live up to expectations. He was pressed into duty in 2020 when Posey opted out of the pandemic-shortened season. Bart was not ready, producing a disappointing .233/.288/.320 batting line in his 111 plate appearances, striking out 41 times while drawing three walks and hitting five doubles. Despite those struggles, Bart was considered a top-100 prospect entering the 2022 season.

He received the longest opportunity of his career that season. Bart showed his power potential in 2022, hitting 11 homers, but otherwise struggled. He posted a .215/.296/.364 batting line in his 291 plate appearances, striking out 112 times with 26 walks. Bart was simply overmatched in the majors.

While Bart was able to make the Opening Day roster, he was on borrowed time. He is out of options, meaning he will be exposed to every team in the majors before he can be sent to Triple-A. Taylor Wirth from NBC Sports Bay Area has reported that the A's had been among the teams scouting Bart in recent weeks, waiting for such a moment. He is likely to get another chance; it just will not be in San Francisco.

The Giants have designated catcher Joey Bart for assignment. He was never able to live up to expectations.