Red Sox DFA Matt Barnes

Red Sox DFA Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes is donezo. Another member from the 2018 Red Sox World Series team is gone. In order to make room for the Adam Duvall signing, Boston will DFA Barnes. The man who went from closer to utter disaster has been removed from the 40 man roster.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live was the first to report the news:

Barnes, 32, was with the Red Sox for nine seasons. The peak Barnes came in 2021 when he made his first All-Star appearance. Even earned a nice little contract extension after. Bad call by me because the second the dust settled on that contract it turned into a stinker.

Barnes got shelled in 2022 posting 4.31 ERA in 44 games. Barnes totally lost feel for the curveball and posted a career worst 7.7 K per nine. The 4.8 BB rate didn’t help matters either. Barnes couldn’t locate the curve anymore and lost his spot on the Red Sox because of it.

Boston does have some time to trade Barnes but they don’t have much leverage given the DFA status. If Boston cuts ties, someone else will get the chance to sign Barnes for the league minimum salary since the Red Sox would owe him the remainder of the $7.5 million salary for 2023. Yes, you read that correctly. That would be the dollar amount figure the Red Sox would be paying Barnes to pitch for someone else. All because Chaim Bloom couldn’t manage his 40-man roster.

RIP: Jeter Downs, Connor Seabold, Darwinzon Hernandez, Thad Ward, and now Barnes. I somehow feel like I missed three more names. End of blog.

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