"That stint in South Korea worked out very well for Barnes. In his first three seasons with the Giants, Barnes started 86 games and posted a 3.42 ERA. He got his strikeout rate up to 22.4% while keeping his walks to just 6.9%, and was the ace of Lotte's staff in each of his three full seasons with the club."
"Unfortunately, however, Barnes struggled upon returning to the club for a fourth season in 2025. He made just eight starts with a 5.32 ERA as his strikeout rate dipped to 18.6% while his walk rate crept up to 8.3%. He was released by the Giants back in May and returned stateside to land a minor league deal with the Reds. He made six starts at Triple-A Louisville but struggled badly with a 7.13 ERA in 24 innings of work."
Charlie Barnes, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. He was a fourth-round Twins pick in 2017 and debuted in MLB in 2021, working mainly as a starter but posting a 5.92 ERA and 5.06 FIP in 38 innings, with 16 walks and 20 strikeouts. Barnes left MLB for KBO's Lotte Giants, where he excelled across three seasons with a 3.42 ERA, improved strikeout and walk rates, and served as the staff ace. He struggled in 2025, was released, had a poor Triple-A stint with the Reds, but showed promise with five strong winter league starts.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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