The Los Angeles Dodgers released Austin Barnes, making him a free agent who can sign with any team once clearing release waivers if he has not already done so.
Barnes was designated for assignment on May 14 as the corresponding move to top Dodgers prospect getting called up for his MLB debut.
Due to not being claimed off waivers upon getting designated for assignment, the Dodgers are responsible to pay Barnes the remainder of his 2025 salary. However, assuming he signs with a new team and receives the prorated amount of the Major League minimum salary, that total would be deducted from what the Dodgers owe Barnes.
They had kept Barnes under contract by exercising a $3.5 team option for this season.
At the time of his DFA, Barnes was the longest-tenured Dodgers position player. He was originally drafted by the then-Florida Marlins in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
The Riverside native then had an opportunity for a homecoming when Barnes was included in a December 2014 trade that also sent Chris Hatcher, Andrew Heaney and Kiké Hernández to the Dodgers. The Marlins received Dee Strange-Gordon, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas and cash considerations in the deal.
Barnes made limited appearances for the Dodgers in 2015 and 2016 before becoming their full-time backup catcher. He played in a career-high 102 games during the 2017 season and appeared in 100 the following year.
Barnes was lauded for his leadership and work with pitchers throughout his Dodgers career, which often led to starting some of the team’s biggest games in the postseason.
Over parts of 11 seasons with the Dodgers, Barnes hit .223/.322/.338 with 63 doubles, 35 home runs and 162 RBI.
Austin Barnes DFA reaction
Part of what made the Dodgers’ decision to remove Barnes from their roster was his close relationship with Clayton Kershaw.
“I think everybody was surprised,” Kershaw said. “It’s sad. Barnesy is one of my best friends on and off the field. You won’t find a guy that competes better than Austin Barnes. He wants to win more than anybody.
“He always found a way, he came up in some big moments for us throughout the years. I think a lot of people forget he was starting a lot of playoff games and winning a lot of games for us with big knocks. It’s sad to see someone like that go, who’s been here for so long.”
That surprising decision was followed four days later by the Dodgers releasing Chris Taylor.
“This has been a very emotional week for all of us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Barnesy and C.T. have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we’re at at this point.
“So the decisions were incredibly difficult. The conversations were tough, but with where we are, division race, composition of roster, everything, we felt like this was in the Dodgers’ best interest, in terms of how to win as many games and put us in position to best win a World Series this year.
“Doesn’t mean that it was easy, but ultimately felt like it was the right thing to do.”
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