"Barnes, 36, has spent his entire big league career with the Dodgers thus far. Over parts of 11 seasons, he consistently graded out as a strong defender behind the plate. His offense was never his carrying tool but was generally passable for a long time. From 2015 to 2022, in 1,357 plate appearances, he hit 32 home runs and drew walks at a strong 12.1% clip. His .225/.333/.358 slash in that span led to a 93 wRC+."
"But things declined more recently, with Barnes producing a .217/.283/.272 line and 57 wRC+ from the start of the 2023 season to the present. That drop in offense came as he was getting squeezed by other players. took over the full-time catching job in 2020. Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani were later signed to cover first base and designated hitter, respectively, leaving no ability to move Smith elsewhere."
"The Mets have Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens set to be their catching duo at the big league level. Hayden Senger is on the 40-man but still has options, so he's likely ticketed for a depth role at Triple-A. Barnes will likely head to Syracuse with Senger and give the Mets an experienced veteran to potentially call upon if the big league catching group is thinned out by an injury or two."
The Mets signed catcher Austin Barnes and right-hander Craig Kimbrel to minor-league deals. Barnes, 36, spent his entire big league career with the Dodgers and graded as a strong defender. From 2015–2022 he hit 32 home runs in 1,357 plate appearances with a .225/.333/.358 slash and a 93 wRC+. His offense declined since 2023, producing a .217/.283/.272 line and 57 wRC+. The Dodgers moved to younger options, and Barnes was released by the Giants last August after a minor league stint. The Mets have Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens as MLB catchers, with Barnes likely to provide Triple-A depth in Syracuse alongside Hayden Senger.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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