The Red Sox announced that they have designated right-hander Matt Barnes for assignment. His roster spot will go to outfielder Adam Duvall, whose signing is now official.
Barnes, 33 in June, has spent his entire career with the Red Sox thus far. They selected him back in 2011, using the 19th overall pick to grab him. He transitioned from the rotation to the bullpen while in the minors and eventually established himself as a solid reliever in the Boston bullpen. From 2016 through 2020, he made 288 appearances with a 3.88 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was certainly on the high side but he also struck out 31.9% of opponents and got grounders at a 48.1% clip.
In the first half of 2021, he seemed to take his game to a new level. Through July 10, he had already tossed 37 innings on the year with a 2.68 ERA, striking out an incredible 44.6% of opponents while walking just 7.2%. He also took over as the club’s closer, racking up 19 saves by that point in the season already, despite only having 15 in his career prior to that season. He was slated to hit the open market at the end of that year but the Sox decided they wanted to lock him up and agreed to a two-year, $18.75MM extension with a club option for 2024.
Unfortunately, things have gone downhill for Barnes since the ink dried on that deal. He posted a 6.11 ERA in the rest of the 2021 campaign and was initially left off the club’s postseason roster, though he later re-joined the club as an injury replacement. In 2022, he struggled badly out of the gate, posting a 7.94 ERA through the end of May, when he landed on the injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. He came back in August and posted a 1.59 ERA from then out, but that still left his season-long ERA at 4.31. Despite that strong finish, he has evidently been pushed off the roster in Boston, a remarkable turnaround for a guy who looked like one of the best relievers in baseball a year and a half ago.
The Sox will now have a week to trade Barnes or pass him through waivers. He will be making a $7.5MM salary this year and has a $2.25MM buyout on the $8MM club option for next year. Unless the Sox can find a trade partner, they will be on the hook for the $9.75MM still owed to Barnes. If he were to clear waivers, he has more than five years of MLB service time, meaning he can reject an outright assignment and become a free agent while retaining all of that money. Should he become a free agent and sign elsewhere, another club would only have to pay him the protated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount being subtracted from what the Sox pay.
iTalk Studios reported that Barnes would be designated for assignment before the official announcement.
Huh?
Now this deserves a big WOW !!!!
WOW!
this has Pirates written all over it
Ben should give him a look. not a back end guy anymore but worth a look as a middle reliever
Barnes is going unclaimed because no team is gonna pay his salary if they have a chance to get him with Boston on the hook for the money. Therefore he’s gonna be a free agent and sign with a contending team, I’m guessing the Dodgers.
Wrong
End of an era of redsox baseball
Yeah? He was solid at times, but 4.07 ERA and 1.34 whip over 8 seasons doesn’t scream “end of an era” to me.
Not saying it was a “good” or “bad” era, but it was one with a solid bullpen that reached the 2018 World Series and Barnes is the last piece from that team currently relieving.
Ryan Brasier was another late inning option in that 2018 WS championship bullpen too and unfortunately, he somehow still remains.
Probably because he’s been better than Barnes.
I know, it’s pretty complicated.
It depends on which Barnes you get. The well-rested Barnes at the end of last season was really, really good. The first half of the season, not so much.
& they should of cut him & kept Barnes!Shaim Doom strikes again!!
Moronic thing to say which one has the huge contract the all star appearance and the career k numbers Einstein
Are you new to sarcasm? Don’t worry! There are many online courses that can help you.
The only thing that signals an era here is they’re deciding to take care of the trash before it gets too rancid.
Explain Brasier
Has dirt on, or somehow provides some service to, Henry and/or Bloom.
Sure, I can explain Brasier. He is an average major league reliever who makes short money who has decent stuff.
Brasier Career WHIP 1.,21.
WHIP last year. 1.29.
Matt Barnes Career WHIP 1.34
WHIP last year 1.43
Major league average WHIP in 2022 1.26
You’re welcome.
Wait! What? Isn’t Ort on the 40 man?
No explanation for Brasier still being on the roster. None whatsoever. He’s like a cat with 9 lives! Complete mystery to me.
Brasier is better. Note, that doesn’t mean good, just better. Barnes is lost without sticky stuff. Note when his collapse began.
Curt – So what you’re saying is Bloom was an idiot for giving Barnes an $18.75M 2-year extension.
Glad you’ve finally come to your senses about the guy currently running the Red Sox …. into the ground.
I saw this on soxprospects.com:
Brasier 2022: 9.24 K/9, 1.88 BB/9
Barnes 2022: 7.71 K/9, 4.76 BB/9
Barnes had a career low home run rate (4.3%) and his babip was 2nd lowest of his career (.293) despite a career high (44.9%) HardHit%.
Fever.
when have I ever said I liked Bloom?
The issue I have is with people who literally LOSE THEIR MIND, over everything he does. Not the overall body of work.
It gets pathetic.
The issue I have is with people who literally LOSE THEIR MIND, over everything he does.
===========================
And probably far more so than any other team.
What fans should look at occasionally is that:
1-Minor league depth signings are usually nothing.
2-The difference between Barnes & Brasier, for example, is not that much. Brasier had a better FIP, and a much better K/W And since no one here knows nearly as much as the FO, and don’t know what they are looking at (spin for example, contact velocity, etc.), our opinions are meaningless.
3-Similarly, the difference between Mondesi and Taylor is not that much. And none of know the details of Taylor’s minor league performance last year. The experts might be looking at rotation, hard contact, etc.
4-And lastly, no one knows the model that the RS are using. Maybe the RS have no use for LOOGYs and don’t care to have a 2nd lefty. Or maybe they’d love a 2nd LOOGY, but prefer to add from the outside. Maybe the RS have plans for SS upgrade and view Mondesi as a UIF/PR.
I get that folks want to have an opinion, but there should be an acknowledgement that our knowledge about some of these #26 type moves is pretty limited. I like the Mondesi trade, but I am not going to pretend as if this will alter the entire outlook of the ALE.
Wow, this is a big surprise! I thought Barnes rebounded fairly well last year and with his $9M salary, I’m not sure anyone will put a claim in for him. Maybe they know something about him now but I thought for sure that he’d at least make it to Spring Training to see how he looked before making such a decision. Somehow, Kyle Ort & Ryan Braiser still remain on the 40-man roster…very strange.
His peripherals completely collapsed last year. Lost almost half the K’s. Not sure if it was injury or what, but they seem to be hoping someone will relieve them of the salary. My guess is no one will.
If the Sox eats about $7M of his salary, I think a team will take a chance on him rebounding for a PTBNL.
They will be paying that money regardless. I was just not trustworthy outside of the second half of 18 and a couple other spurts.
I could see Dombrowski claiming him and overpaying.
What’s to overpay? Either the Sox agree to pay all but the minimum and DD throws them a marginal minor leaguer or he gets released and DD signs him for the same deal without giving up anyone. Barnes is I believe a CT native who probably likes the northeast.
Yes and played at UConn as well.
What’s to overpay? Either the Sox agree to pay all but the minimum
===========================
Can no one offer to pick up, say, $2M of his salary?
IMO, this is a Bloom way to trade Barnes, eat part of his salary, reduce the CBT by the part of the salary picked up by the receiving team.
Barnes has value, and some trade partner is probably already in place.
If Josh Taylor can be traded for value, then Barnes will bring more value. That said, the more salary the Red Sox eat, the better prospect they will get back!
JC: Hope you’re right. I shouldn’t have taken a shot at DD, but it’s too late now.
I’ve been wrong before but I can’t see anyone trading for him without giving back a worse contract
Hi Dewey. Yeah, I doubt they pull off a trade.
You know, typically when you want to trade a guy you pull the trigger and delay announcing the signing. Once the guy is DFA’d the team loses a little leverage and a trade partner is as likely to wait for release waiver as to pay something when it’s a borderline guy like Barnes… ok ability, but, way underwater on salary.
Are they hoping someone claims him for that money he’s owed? Maybe a team desperate for a reliever with money to spend?
I’ve been wanting this for awhile but I would have designated Barnes and Ort first
You got your wish
Half a wish is still better than none at all.
For as much crap as this front office is getting, they are really doing him a solid by doing it in late Jan instead of late March.
We waited until January for the Red Sox to do something interesting!
He’s likely to pass thru waivers unclaimed at his salary, and not wanting to leave the cash will accept the assignment and still attend spring training.
He has enough service time where this does not apply
Veteran contracts are guaranteed. He gets his 8 point whatever million no matter what team he plays for majors or minors. They will try to trade him first (which actually could succeed), then waive him, and if he goes unclaimed, he becomes a free agent and signs for minimum somewhere else. But the Sox still pay him. The one thing that is unlikely to the extreme is he stays with the Sox.
Another brilliant move by Bloom to sign him to that extension.
Where were you when it was inked? I was not happy and posted about it because of his inconsistencies but the money is not that much relatively speaking. He was in a groove then and you’d be talking about how Bloom let him walk if he stayed hot and became a free agent. Give him credit for accepting the guaranteed money the team offered.
A DFAd player is tradable if a team that wants him doesn’t think he will last until their waiver claim. No one is going to claim Barnes and assume 100% of his salary. Therefore Barnes is not tradable
Oops, I guess not.
Just the culmination of a spectacular contract extension!
Revisionist history, was universally regarded as good to great value the day it was signed. That’s pitching; it happens. He can still get MLB hitters out and will rebound somewhere.
JV;
I was watching the Sox game that night, and everyone was making a big deal about how the Sox and their fans could rest easy, Barnes wasn’t leaving and the closer role was set for years.
Pitching is so volatile, especially in the bullpen. Coaches matter a lot – the good organizations constantly have to be making their pitchers under contract better because who knows who suddenly falls out.
Come back in 3-4 years and read Yankee fans condemning Hal Cashman for the Rodon contract.
Nice post Samuel. We actually can agree. I’m glad for Barnes that he took the offer even though I was against it. That said, he and Kelly were invaluable in 18 when Kimbrel lost it in August.
Any front office signing any pitcher to any extension after the first half of 2021 had their head in the sand about the substances being used by pitchers. I am a Brewers fan, but there is exactly one reason why Corbin Burnes was able to strike out 58 batters before allowing a walk that year.
Props to iTalk, I know him
What?
Revealing stat for today: Matt Barnes has only 47 saves FOR HIS CAREER.
What on Earth are the Red Sox doing this decade?
Way overdue. He was trash for a while. Good riddance.
It is becoming a habit for me to read the Sox daily transactions and then bang my head on the wall. Thank God I have an Italian head lol
Nooooooooooooooooooo!
The first MLB player from Bethel, Connecticut.
Whyhayzee sad.
Wait, what?
Definitely won’t be claimed. Maybe they can get someone to eat a million or two if they’re lucky.
Spend money on a player. Release player. Repeat.
It’s the bloom churn and burn.
Bloom is like the high school party life. Pick up a new date, waste your money on them, then dump them the next day.
And, much like high school, all the hottest dates spurn Bloom’s advances…
Speak for yourself.
I wasn’t saying it was negative, just his style. He doesn’t mind expending anyone.
I mean seriously what does Brasier have on Bloom.
Would much rather take the chance that Barnes comes back then continue to trot Brasier out.
As long as he’s on the team I have instructed my client not to play his ace….
This move is just utterly IDIOTIC! Why DFA Barnes when bums like Kaleb Ort, Zack Kelly, and Ryan Brasier are on the roster? Barnes was lights out the 2nd half of last season after a brutal start. He had a 1.59 era over his last 24 games, just a terrible decision.
Stay tuned Kevin 23.
There’s something the Sox FO knows that you don’t know.
In time it’ll come out.
This. It’s likely his shoulder is bad again.
Samuel – Spot on as usual.
Barnes either has a serious arm problem OR there is a trade already worked out after Barnes clears, which I believe is the case.
If Josh Taylor has value and is tradable, then Barnes has a lot more value to some team, and the more salary the Red Sox pick up the better prospect or MLB player the Red Sox get back. The DFA, in this case, may affect the contract for next year in a way that is more palatable for the receiving team.
If Barnes clears waivers, he’ll reject an outright assignment and become a free agent. (Or the Sox will just put him on release waivers to begin with.)
If the Red Sox had a trade worked out already, they’d just have made it. They designated him because they felt he was the most expendable player on their 40-man roster.
They’re still on the hook for his luxury hit, barring an unlikely scenario where someone takes part of his contract in a trade.
I hope you’re both right but I.just don’t see it. He pitched well in meaningless games. Outside of 18, he hasn’t shown he can consistently handle pressure
Oh we can’t wait.
The old line of thinking would be that, with so much money invested in Barnes, he can’t be DFA’ed, so Brasier and Ort should go ahead of him. But the Sox are obviously willing to eat that money if they have to–even though it seemed Barnes ended the season as a playable middle reliever, which is at least getting something for your money. Quite a surprise move today. I too wonder what is keeping Brasier afloat. And maybe mostly what this move says is that Dalbec and/or Duran is simply immovable for any kind of return, so they had to open their 40-man slot with another RP.
Horace Fury;
This is Rays thinking….
When a guy is no longer productive and your coaches have tried with him – cut your losses and bring in people that can be productive. Let the competition forever try to straighten name players out.
Get used to it.
You seem to imply I was against the move. Read better. I start out by calling it the “old line of thinking.”
Horace – Samuel was not disagreeing. He was simply adding to what you said (agreeing with you).
If that’s just Rays thinking, no wonder most of the other clubs can’t emulate their success. Seems pretty obvious to me.
Release Barnes and trade Taylor on the same day. Pen a little thin now?
No.
How does this impact the Luxury Tax? No effect?
Derek Fisher pleased.
Trade him for Paul dejong. Either team adds pieces to make it work
What use do the Sox have for de Jong?
Isn’t Rojas hurt to start the season? Who plays second?
Barnes plus 7.5 Mil to the Mets for Taylor Saucedo. Mets get Barnes for $2.25 this year if he doesn’t last 2 years, or $8 Mil for two years if they pick up the club option. Red Sox get an optionable lefty for their pen who throws worm-burners, which isn’t bad for Fenway Park.
They won’t trade for someone they have to put on the 40 man otherwise why dfa Barnes?
Why would the Mets have DFA’d Saucedo? The Sox need a lefty in the pen. If they are banking on Joely Rodriguez, they’ll be a fourth place team.
And then DFA Caleb Ort, who can’t make the jump from AAA to the majors.
He also spells his name wrong.
Eastern. Fourth place would be an improvement…
I just don’t see it Eastern what I could see is if the Red Sox pay most of or all of his salary they trade him for prospects that don’t need to be added to the 40 man. It’s really the only thing that makes sense. He wasn’t that bad after he came back from injury in August of last year.
Him over Brasier? Sounds kind of ridiculous but I’m willing to see how this goes. Now without Taylor and Barnes this super bullpen is getting a bit more frail, even if they weren’t the top guys. Bloom has me head scratching.
In my honest opinion, Barnes is worth more to this team than Duvall, who is highly overrated.
Deck chairs, Titanic, etc etc.
Brais…. Bad news is I just lit last to candles at church for ya pal…. Good news is their heating bill has dropped significantly since I started doing this for you….
So if he passes through waivers unclaimed, can they send him to AAA or are they forced to release him?
Release
But he can always then be re-signed to a minor league deal should he not get an MLB offer
Red sox should trade Matt Barnes and $7.5 M to the Mets for Taylor Saucedo. Sox get a lefty reliever who gets ground balls( important in Fenway) who comes with options, and a little more than 2 years of the major league minimum off their guaranteed money the RedSox owe Barnes. Mets get an experienced reliever for $2.25 M for one year, or if he’s good and they pick up the club option, Barnes for $8 M for 2 years.
This is just about getting rid of anyone who came before Blooms time. If the RedSox should happen to have a good year anytime in the next few, he wants all the credit. Watch out Chris Sale, doubt you are wearing the Red and white after 8/1. Why else to you get rid of someone whose last 24 appearances led to a 1.59 era, and keep Ryan Brazier and Kaleb Ort. Time to DFA Bloom! There is no reasonable future with these crazy kind of decisions.
I don’t fully believe that’s the line here, with this one.
Devers joined the org before bloom. So it’s not guaranteed.
Barnes became a bloom guy to a degree when the overpay came down in the form of the extension bloom gave him. Barnes was out of Boston already except for that.
Chris Sale’s next when they bring in the new garbage infielder
Good luck with that one
I keep seeing brasier comments..im in agreement i dont like brasier but if you look at recent stats hes better than barnes..lol
Shh.. don’t tell anyone.
Whether true or not, I don’t find it a credible move coming from a guy who also signed him to a decently sized contract. It’s basically a terrible move considering this.
Why would anyone claim him when once he is released they can sign him for the league minimum..I think that’s right..he def has enough service time to refuse an outright.
Correct. Anyone with more than three years can reject an outright. But it takes five years to reject and retain all of your guaranteed salary. Barnes has more than seven years.
Can two DFA players be swapped? Maybe Bloom is trying to trade him for a guy like Taylor Saucedo who is also on waivers… no clue, trying to find out why this is happening.
There’s no secret motive. The Sox know designating Barnes will end his time in the organization.
They’ll try to trade him. Failing that, he’ll reject an outright (and retain his salary, as he has more than five years of service) and become a free agent. Or they’ll just place him on release waivers. They’re moving on.
Barnes was a foreign substance user on his glove arm where he would wear a watch. Always grabbed it between pitches. Lights out late movement fast ball. High swinging strike outs.
I think Mata will be the replacement for Barnes by the beginning of the season.Ort and Braiser will do the Sawramura innings.For very little money.You need mop up guys.
I don’t want to be like the “wow” guy but wow.
Barnes would be a nice guy for Texas to pickup.
Why is this a big surprise? I was upset when they extended him for two years. Terribly over rated even when he was pitching good.
That’s Chaim. Nicole and dining but blowing 10M
Are General Managers tested for drugs?
I wonder if they have a deal in place with another reliever
I wonder if they have a deal in place with another reliever
=========================
That’s my guess as well. This is mostly just speculation, but it would be logical for them to sign Chafin. But once they ‘if’ sign Chafin, that made Taylor expendable as a lefty. They trade the lefty RP for the MI help they need. Adding Mondesi (and when Duvall is announced), completes the 13-hitter roster.
The 13-man pitching roster is set, including Barnes. To open up a spot for Chafin, they need to move an RP. There isn’t much difference between Barnes and Braiser performance-wise. So they put Barnes on the waiver hoping someone picks up $2-3M. If not, someone will almost certainly offer us a decent lottery pick if we pick up his entire salary.
It might not be Chafin, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we already lined up another BP arm.
Sure needs one, or an adult to replace him
Duran has a job, Dalbec has a job….
Probably 6 guys that are worse than Barnes, but payroll mismanagement is so horrendous Hymey needed to do something.
Ridiculous
This is a guy with enough left in the tank to really come back and haunt the Sox and Bloom.
Does Barnes’ 9.5mm count against the competitive balance tax with him off the 40 man?
Yes it does unless someone claims him. If he passes through waivers, the Sox are stuck with his salary and option buyout against their CBT with the exception of the league minimum any other team pays him to join their club…ouch!
Bloom is a joke . He hasn’t made a good move period . All his trades are trash . Talk about prospects all he wants . Develop one first
Is Barnes the last remnant of the Theo Epstein era in Boston?
When they signed Jansen that gave them their closer until someone else shows they can do it .
If Houck doesn’t get moved, Houck/ Jansen will divvy up the closer spot. Schreiber / Whitlock short and long set-up. I know the experiment–Whit doesn’t have a long-arm. I hope I’m wrong-he’s a huge short reliever guy every 2-3 days-Mr, Reliable like Schreiber.
Though Barnes and some fans may have been surprised (maybe); it was probably a toss-up Barnes or Brasier. To me WHIPS don’t lie! If Bloom is a WHIP guy he and Cora see eye to eye.
Barnes can’t spit! He has a dry spit. I know when most relievers leave the pen they take a swig of water. By the time Barnes get to the mound he is dry. He has “dry-spit.” It’s been his “MO.”
Anyone looking to change their minds about releasing Barnes? Once again, without knowing what’s around the next bend of the road, it is difficult to pass judgement on the driver.