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You get Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. We get Austin Barnes. Along with the announcement of their signing of Craig Kimbrel, the New York Mets have added longtime Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes to the roster.
Mets announce the signings of Craig Kimbrel and Austin Barnes to minor league contracts.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 29, 2026
The 36-year-old has spent parts of 11 seasons with the Dodgers dating back to 2015. A career backup with a couple seasons early on where he played a little more than expected, Barnes will join the Mets on a minor league deal to help fortify one of the most necessary parts of every depth chart, catcher.
Austin Barnes might be the most important depth signing the Mets make all offseason
On a minor league deal, nothing hurts. You pay a guy to toil away in Triple-A and maybe teach some of the kids a few things. Barnes will play alongside Hayden Senger and Kevin Parada in Syracuse. Both of them could learn a few things.
Even if Barnes isn’t present to pass along any of his wisdom, having an experienced catcher gives the Mets breathing room in case of injury. Francisco Alvarez tends to visit the IL at least once a year. Luis Torrens had his turn in 2025, too. Rather than put faith in Senger being capable of carrying the load, the Mets went out and added maybe the best option available.
Barnes has been a top framer in the past. His arm hasn’t been impressive, allowing many runners to take advantage of that weakness in his defensive game. The ABS system coming to MLB in 2026 might wash away that advantage anyway. Barnes’ purpose isn’t to get the Mets through a whole season. He’s here to aid in case of any long-term injuries.
Offensively, Barnes can handle himself. He’s a lifetime .223 hitter with a .322 OBP. For a backup, it’s not so bad.
As fun as it was to see Senger get his chance last year, his OBP was below Barnes’ lifetime average. Senger remains on the 40-man roster and would probably be the Mets’ choice for a short period of time even if it’s to help them get through a temporary ailment where a catcher can avoid the IL but they need the added player. Barnes is more of a stabilizer.