Dodgers hand catcher Barnes 2-year, $7 million extension

The Dodgers are happy with their current setup at catcher and look to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

With starting catcher Will Smith leading the way behind the plate, the franchise wants to keep their 1-2 punch at catcher together for at least the next two years. 

On Sunday, the Dodgers announced they agreed to terms with Barnes on a 2-year contract extension that keeps him in Los Angeles through 2024. The contract is worth $7 million. 

Barnes, a Riverside native who played his high school baseball at Riverside Polytechnic, has been with the Boys in Blue since 2015. He is the third-longest tenured Dodger player after pitcher Clayton Kershaw and third baseman Justin Turner. 

After hitting the team's first homerun of the season back on April 9, Barnes has cooled off at the plate in the small amount of time he's been in the lineup. 

Barnes, 32, is hitting .188 with four homeruns, 12 RBI and two stolen bases in 30 games this season, primarily serving as the team's backup catcher. 

Though his role has reduced, Barnes is well respected by his teammates and the Dodgers' pitching staff. 

So much so that much of the team, including All-Star shortstop Trea Turner, have argued for Barnes to become the team's official captain, according to Dodgers reporter and AM570 LA Sports' David Vassegh.

Barnes will be getting paid $3.5 million in the next two seasons and has a $3.5 million team option for 2025, according to the Associated Press.

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