The Dodgers’ second-longest tenured position player will be staying in Los Angeles for at least another couple years.
On Sunday, the team agreed to a two-year contract extension with catcher Austin Barnes, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who weren’t authorized to speak on the record.
Terms of the deal were not immediately known.
Barnes, 32, was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2011 and acquired by the Dodgers in 2014 before debuting in the majors in 2015. Since then, he’s been a constant presence around Chavez Ravine, largely as a backup catcher praised for his abilities behind the plate and presence in the clubhouse.
Though he is just a career .224 hitter with 28 home runs in more than 450 games, Barnes has posted a positive wins above replacement total in each of the last six seasons. His best season at the plate was in 2017, when he hit .289 while playing in a career-high 102 games.
Since then, he has been part of several different pairings behind the plate, forming partnerships with Yasmani Grandal, Russell Martin and, the last three seasons, Will Smith.
Barnes has been Clayton Kershaw’s most common battery mate over the last eight seasons, as well.
Barnes was set to be a free agent this winter, but will now be under contract with the Dodgers through the 2024 season.
After Kershaw, the only other Dodger who has been with the team longer is third baseman Justin Turner.
Barnes entered Sunday batting .188 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 30 games this season. He has also been graded as one of the best pitch-framers in the majors by Baseball Savant.
