Mets Announce Signings of Barnes, Kimbrel

The Mets have officially announced that they have signed reliever Craig Kimbrel and catcher Austin Barnes to minor league deals with invitations to spring training.

Craig Kimbrel

For more than a decade, Kimbrel was one of the most dominant closers in the sport, but after a rough 2024, in which he struggled with a 5.33 ERA, he struggled to find consistent innings in the majors in 2025. When he was on the mound, he pitched to a 2.25 ERA and 1.417 WHIP in 12 innings pitched. His FIP for 2025 in the majors was 4.22. He also pitched 39 innings in the minors to a 3.00 ERA and 1.051 WHIP. While the velocity may no longer be there, clocking in at 93.5 MPH, he did still generate a 34.7% strikeout rate and 29.8% whiff rate in the majors. In Triple-A, he generated a 29.8% strikeout rate and 30.0% whiff rate. While not to the level of his prime, Kimbrel’s pitch shapes are still strong, showing the potential future Hall of Fame closer may have something left in the tank. You can read MMO’s write-up on Kimbrel here.

Austin Barnes

Barnes has spent the entirety of his eleven-year career playing for the Dodgers. He caught 86 games for Clayton Kershaw before being designated for assignment on May 14, 2025. He is a career .223/.322/.338/.660 hitter who has been known as a plus framer and plus overall defender behind the plate. He will serve as additional depth alongside Hayden Senger, who played in 33 games for the Mets in 2025 but struggled offensively with a .181/.221/.194/.415 slash. With Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens both suffering injuries in 2024 and 2025, the Mets could benefit from being deeper at the catcher position. Even if he does not play in the majors, he could be a good mentor for Alvarez during spring training.

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