ការសម្រេចចិត្តដ៏លំបាកចំពោះ DFA Matt Barnes, ការបន្លិចធម្មជាតិនៃការផ្តល់ជំនួយសង្គ្រោះ

The world of closing games can be a fickle and yearly consistency can be elusive for many due to various reasons.

Perhaps the latest example is what unfolded Tuesday when the Red Sox designated Matt Barnes for assignment to clear room on the roster for new outfielder Adam Duvall along with Adalberto Mondesi.

It was not long in real life but perhaps ancient times in July 2021 when Barnes inked a two-year, $18.75 million extension shortly before his All-Star game debut. The deal was signed while he was in midst of producing a 1.12 ERA in July but the following month, he pitched to a 13.50 ERA and only produced one of his 24 saves.

Last season was a continuation of the nightmarish end to 2021. He had a 7.94 ERA before missing two months with right shoulder inflammation and then returned to what appeared on the surface to be effective with a 1.59 ERA. Except the pitcher who produced strikeout rates of 36.2 in 2018, 38.6 in 2019 and 37.8 in 2021 was down to 19.3 percent last season.

While Barnes could certainly regain some of the past success as many pitchers do the further, they get away from injury, the Red Sox felt otherwise, and the signings of Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin seem to their illustrate viewpoint.

“The conversation itself was one of the more difficult ones that I’ve had,” Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom told reporters.

Barnes is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent assuming a trade can’t be worked out and how the Red Sox said they agonized about the decision illustrates the human side of daily transactions.

“More than anything, this is just a function of where we’re at in the offseason and with our 40-man roster,” Bloom said. “There are no easy decisions and, you know, regardless of recent accomplishments, regardless of what they have under their belts in their careers, everybody on our 40-man roster has real value.”

“And so that forces tough choices, and it’s obviously something we’ve been working through all offseason. And today we landed on Matt, but beyond that, it’s certainly nothing negative about him. I think it’s more a statement of where we’re at with the 40-man roster, and beyond that I want to see the process play out first before saying more.”

Still, Barnes being cut may be viewed as a surprise. He is owed $7.5 million for 2023 season and on the surface for fans seemed like someone worthy of keeping over Ryan Brasier.

Unlike the Yankees making no effort to retain Aroldis Chapman, this was not a no-brainer, which explains the tone Bloom spoke with when addressing the move to reporters in Boston.

In the context of the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry, Barnes final act was among the handful of pitchers who faced Aaron Judge and were hoping to avoid becoming the answer to who allowed his 61st or 62nd homer. Barnes actually came close when he retired Judge on a warning track flyball in the ninth inning that landed 404 feet away into Hernandez’s glove in center field.

“He’s a great person and he’s having an unbelievable season, I’m trying to get him out,” Barnes said on Sept. 22. “I frankly don’t care about history. We got a ballgame to win. If I give up a homer, the game’s over, right?

“ដូច្នេះ ខ្ញុំប្រាកដថាគាត់ធ្វើវានៅចំណុចណាមួយក្នុងរដូវកាលនេះ ហើយខ្ញុំនឹងអបអរសាទរគាត់ និងអ្វីៗគ្រប់យ៉ាង។ ប្រសិនបើខ្ញុំចេញទៅទីនោះ ហើយជាប់ក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តនៃអ្វីដែលគាត់អាចធ្វើបាន ហើយខ្ញុំចាប់ផ្តើមពត់ជើងជុំវិញ at-bat ខ្ញុំប្រហែលជានឹងព្យួរអ្វីមួយ ហើយខ្ញុំប្រហែលជានឹងខកខានកណ្តាល ហើយអ្វីៗរបស់ខ្ញុំនឹងទៅ។ កាន់តែអាក្រក់ទៅៗ ហើយខ្ញុំប្រហែលជាបោះបង់ការរត់ទៅផ្ទះ»។

And against the Yankees, Barnes owns an unsightly 7.15 ERA in 41 appearances and that includes the 8.31 ERA in 2018 when he continued to emerge as an effective bridge to Craig Kimbrel.

After not retaining Xander Bogaerts, Barnes was the longest tenured Red Sox. His 429 appearances are third in team history behind the 590 Tim Wakefield pitched in and 637 Bob Stanley appeared in.

Two years ago, it was easy to anticipate Barnes pitching beyond 2022 season but struggles and subsequent injury show how things can reverse course, though it seems likely the right-hander will get a new team and pitch this season.