The Boston Red Sox made a surprising move to clear space on their roster on Tuesday.
Veteran reliever Matt Barnes was designated for assignment to make room for newly-acquired outfielder Adam Duvall, the team announced. Boston will still need to pay his $7.5 million salary for 2023.
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The Red Sox originally drafted Barnes in the first round (19th overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft. The UConn product debuted with the big-league club in 2014 and was a key contributor out of the bullpen for the next nine seasons.
Barnes, 32, helped Boston to a World Series title in 2018. He signed a two-year, $18.75 million contract extension shortly before playing in his first All-Star Game in 2021.
In nine years with the Red Sox, Barnes amassed a 4.07 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 556 strikeouts and 200 walks in 431.2 innings (429 appearances).
