Dodgers decide to DFA two-time World Series champion mainstay

The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially closing the book on a longtime veteran.

The Dodgers announced on Wednesday that they are designating catcher Austin Barnes for assignment. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers have selected the contract of 24-year-old catcher Dalton Rushing.

Barnes, 35, was the Dodgers’ longest-tenured position player and had been on the roster since 2015 (spanning his entire MLB career). That included both of the team’s World Series titles of the last half-decade (in 2020 and 2024).

A righty hitter, Barnes was originally a draft pick of the then-Florida Marlins, going in the ninth round back in 2011. But he was sent to the Dodgers in 2014 as part of the Dee Strange-Gordon trade. He then made his MLB debut for the Dodgers the next year.

While Barnes had been usurped many years ago by Will Smith as the Dodgers’ No. 1 catcher, he remained a very capable, defense-first backup (specializing in pitch framing and game management). After hitting .180 in 2023, Barnes had also found his groove at the plate again last season by batting .264 with a .638 OPS.

But Barnes had regressed some this season with a .214 batting average, appearing in just 13 games behind the fairly durable Smith. Now the Dodgers have finally decided to give Barnes’ roster spot to Rushing, a lefty-hitting former second-round draft pick who was hitting .308 with a .938 OPS at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. Nonetheless, Barnes’ contributions (particularly his clutch hitting in the 2020 World Series) won’t soon be forgotten by the Dodgers faithful.