Austin Barnes arrived at the New York Mets carrying an impressive résumé, though his recent individual performance had been limited.
He spent 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was part of their World Series championship teams in 2020 and 2024.
However, after being released last May, a short stint with the San Francisco Giants didn’t lead to a return to the major leagues.
In January, Barnes signed a minor-league deal with the Mets that included a non-roster invitation to spring training. While his veteran presence added value in camp, he ultimately wasn’t the right fit for the Opening Day roster.
According to MLB’s official transactions log, the 36-year-old was released by the team on Sunday.
Barnes played in eight spring training games for the Mets and performed well, going 5-for-16 with three doubles.
Still, beating out Luis Torrens for the primary backup role behind starting catcher Francisco Alvarez was always going to be a challenge, and carrying three catchers didn’t make much sense for the team.
He mentioned to the New York Post last week that he was uncertain about accepting a minor league assignment if he didn’t make the roster, leaving several options open.
Barnes could return to the Mets and play in Triple-A, pursue opportunities with other MLB teams, or potentially retire after a long and accomplished career.
The Mets remain well-positioned at catcher, with Alvarez and Torrens combining for 3.3 bWAR last season, along with 28-year-old Hayden Senger on the 40-man roster.
Barnes, who has appeared in 612 major league games and even homered in a World Series, leaves behind a career filled with notable achievements—though it remains to be seen whether he’ll add more before calling it a career.
