Heading into a baseball season, you have to think about depth, even when it’s not particularly pleasant to do so. Take the signing of veteran Dodgers’ catcher Austin Barnes for example. For Austin Barnes to have a meaningful impact on the 2026 season, something has gone wrong for either Luis Torrens or, more problematically, Francisco Alvarez. That might mean injury, ineffectiveness, or some equally unpleasant option, but nobody really wants to see Barnes in Queens in 2026.
While that may seem unfair,
there’s a reason that Barnes was signed to a minor league deal just a few weeks before spring training began. Barnes is 36 years old, playing a position that rarely ages well and is nine seasons past his last meaningfully productive season in the majors. Sure, he’s been essentially league average, give or take, since then, but he’s a glove-first catcher whose playing time has steadily decreased over time. His career slash line of .223/.322/.338 isn’t exactly awe inspiring, but he’s a steady hand behind the dish with veteran experience and still solid defensive metrics who will occasionally turn on one. He’s exactly who every team should have in their back pocket as a third or fourth option.
The question is if Barnes is still willing, at 36, to play in Syracuse for the bulk of the season with the hopes of getting a shot at some more big league time down the road. If recent evidence is to be believed, the Mets will need a third catcher at some point. In fact, 2025 was the only year since 2016 that the Mets used just three, and not four or five, catchers over the course of a year. So if the goal is more MLB at-bats and another cap/jersey to frame for the den, then have at it, Austin.
But for a guy whose knees have to be begging for a breather, it would be totally understandable if this was the end of the road for Barnes as a player. For his sake, I hope we see him in Queens at least once this season. For the team’s sake, let’s hope it’s a short stay.
