Austin Barnes may soon get to experience both sides of one of baseballâs fiercest rivalries.
The veteran catcher, who spent parts of his first 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants, FanSidedâs Jeff Young reported Sunday.
Barnes, 35, will report to the Arizona Complex League, with the intent of preparing for a minor league assignment. Heâs widely expected to eventually join the Giantsâ Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.
Barnes slashed .214/.233/.286 with two RBI in 13 games (42 at-bats) this season with Los Angeles before being released in May.
Why Did the Dodgers Release Austin Barnes?
A defensive-minded catcher, Barnes hit just .223 with 35 home runs and 162 RBI in 1,516 career at-bats as a Dodger. His OPS dipped to .519 this season when the Dodgers opted to designate him for assignment, clearing the way for coveted prospect Dalton Rushing to take over as Will Smithâs backup.
In addition to serving as three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershawâs personal catcher, Barnes was also the longest-tenured Dodger at the time of his release.
His most productive offensive season was in 2017, when he slashed .289/.408/.486 with eight homers and a career-high 38 RBI.
Should the Giants promote Barnes to the majors, the Dodgers will owe him the remaining portion of his $3.5 million salary for this season.
How Does Austin Barnes Fit With the Giants?
Given his deficiencies with the bat, Barnes is unlikely to carve out a significant role with San Francisco. Still, Giants president of baseball operations and former MVP catcher Buster Posey saw value in adding another experienced backstop to the mix.
Starting catcher Patrick Bailey is hitting just .196, and backups Andrew Knizner and Sam Huff have struggled even worse in their limited stints. Their issues could conceivably create more opportunities for Barnes, who at the very least is supremely knowledgeable about the rest of the National League West.
The Giants have an experienced pitching staff that features former Cy Young winners Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander, 2024 All-Star Logan Webb, and younger, up-and-coming arms like Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong.
The Giants entered Tuesday first in the NL and second in the majors with a 3.39 team ERA. They were also tied for second in quality starts, with 40.
At 45-40, San Francisco is third place in the division, 8.0 games behind the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former Dodgers Catcher Lands With NL West Rival appeared first on Heavy Sports.