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It has finally happened! Austin Barnes was sent down to AAA after the Dodgers were swept by that team from Anaheim. This was long overdue.
This will turn out to be a win-win situation for both Barnes and the Dodgers.
Right now I’m sure Austin Barnes does not see this as win-win. He hit rock bottom. He had been terrible all season long and it all led up to this demotion. This was not just a slump that lasted a few weeks, this was a slump that lasted the vast majority of the 2019 season.
The Dodgers gave him plenty of opportunities to turn his season around, unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on these chances. People may say that they took to long to pull the trigger on this move, but the Dodgers had the luxury of taking their time with Barnes because of their stranglehold on the division.
This was the best possible thing that could have happened to Barnes. With the way he was performing, being released is always the worst-case scenario. Luckily for him, he had one more option remaining. This move down to AAA could work wonders for the struggling catcher.
We have seen this formula work out before. In 2016 Yasiel Puig was sent down to AAA in an effort to get him back on track both on and off the field. He came back from the minors and slashed .284/.337/.500 in 2016. He was also to have productive seasons in 2017 and 2018 in Los Angeles after this demotion.
More recently this helped turn around Joc Pederson’s season in 2017. After the acquisition of Curtis Granderson, a struggling Joc Pederson was relegated to the minors. He returned to the postseason roster with a vengeance. Joc very well may have been the World Series MVP had the Dodgers gone on to defeat the Astros.
Joc was very good once he returned from AAA. One can only hope that the same could be said about Austin Barnes. Barnes has always been projected to have among the best bat-to-ball skills in the entire organization. Hopefully, a trip to the minors can help Barnes discover this all again.
This could be all that Barnes needs to help discover his swing again. He will be back in the minors, facing lesser pitching. He will also be in an environment with much less pressure. The change of scenery, in general, can help get him back on track.
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When Barnes was up, you could see how much he was pressing to try and be productive. He was able to feel Will Smith breathing down his neck. Now that Smith has surpassed him, that added pressure can be put to the side. Barnes has everything lined up for him to get back on track. This is exactly why his demotion can be viewed as a win.
The Dodgers big league roster gets a jolt with Will Smith. As I finished typing that sentence, Will Smith promptly banged a bases-clearing double for his 6th RBI. Wow, this kid is ridiculous.
The Dodgers offense looked shaky in the freeway series. Muncy, Bellinger, and Pollock have all hit minor slides as of late. CT3 and Hernandez were getting hot and got hit with an injury. So the time was perfect to bring in some sort of spark plug to help get this offense going again.
This also gives Will Smith the opportunity to get settled in with the big league roster before the playoffs. Smith would have definitely been a September call-up, but having him be the catcher for an extra month before rosters expand is going to be very helpful for the rookie.
This move is a win for all parties involved. Austin Barnes gets pressure lifted off of him while he attempts to find his swing in the minors. The Dodgers get an offensive spark plug instantly with Smith. Lastly, Will Smith reaps the benefits of playing meaningful games in the big leagues for an extra month.