Think Blue · Jan 1, 2020
What Lies Ahead for Austin Barnes?
Not long after the Dodgers were eliminated from the 2019 postseason, one of the most popular topics of discussion was the team’s immediate plans at catcher, specifically which player would backup Will Smith.
Some fans felt the club should bring back Russell Martin on a short-term deal, primarily because of his abilities as a clubhouse leader and his skills related to grooming the younger players. Others felt the team should hang onto 30-year-old Austin Barnes, a player who has been in decline offensively since he slashed .289/.408/.486 over 102 games in 2017. There was even another group of folks that thought the Dodgers should explore another option altogether.