LOS ANGELES, CA — Last month, the Los Angeles Dodgers made the tough decision to move on from two key veteran players: utilityman Chris Taylor and long-time catcher Austin Barnes.
Both players were DFA’d by the Dodgers within days of each other, with the team opting for newly signed Korean utilityman Hyeseong Kim and a young new backstop in top prospect Dalton Rushing.
It did not take long for Taylor to find a job with another ballclub, signing with the Dodgers’ Freeway rival, the Los Angeles Angels, where he’d bring valuable versatility and experience to an Angels team that was lacking in that department.
However, for Barnes, a 35-year-old backup catcher, there was no such luck on the free agent market. That was until yesterday, when FanSides’ Jeff Young reported that Barnes had inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers ’ National League West foe, the San Francisco Giants.
Barnes will report to the Giants’ Arizona League complex rather than a higher affiliate, likely an attempt to ramp the catcher back up to a more defined role, whether with the Major League club or a higher affiliate in the minors.
Should Barnes make the Giants’ roster, San Francisco will owe him only the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, and the Dodgers will be on the hook for the remainder of the $3.5 million salary Barnes was owed for the 2025 season.
The dismissal of Barnes was a long-overdue decision. From a production standpoint, the veteran backstop was a below-league-average hitter with a combined .215/.297/.308 slash line and a .605 OPS since the 2022 season. Multiple defensive metrics also declined, including ranking in the second percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average and the first percentile in Pop Tamidow. The long-time Dodgers catcher will join a division rival in the midst of a division race with key intel about many of the current pitchers on or scattered throughout the Dodgers’ roster.
It remains to be seen if Barnes will have an impact on San Francisco this season. Still, with current catchers Patrick Bailey and Andrew Knizner providing little to no offense to speak of, San Francisco could give Barnes a shot as the veteran hit .264 last season en route to the Dodgers ’ second World Series win.
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