Blue Jays acquire 2B Darwin Barney from Dodgers for cash

The Toronto Blue Jays have a made a trade! In a minor deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Blue Jays have picked up second baseman Darwin Barney for cash or a player to be named later. Barney will give the Blue Jays added infield depth with the injuries to Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis, and is expected to be in New York today for the fourth game of the series. 


Many will recognize Barney’s name as the now 29-year old did make some noise when he originally broke into the league as a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2010. After posting a slash line of .273 / ..313 / .353 in his following rookie season, he earned a Gold Glove in 2012 at second base.

An ugly 2013 where Barney posted a .569 OPS over 555 plate appearances snuffed out any talk regarding his long-term potential, however, and in 2014, Barney was dealt to the Dodgers as the “player to be named later” in a small trade.

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Barney has spent most of 2015 with AAA Oklahoma City, where he’s appeared in 96 games and recorded a moderately encouraging line of .277 / .325 / .354, and he’s always possessed a decent eye with patience at the plate. Players that come off the scrap heap on September 13th aren’t going to change the dynamic of a roster, but with his glove, perhaps Barney can contribute in a pinch.

This shouldn’t be taken as a telling move regarding the timeline of Troy Tulowitzki. The world of Twitter has left us craving immediacy, but in the medical world, that’s not always the course of action. Reports continue to indicate that Tulowitzki will be monitored for anywhere from “a few days” to a week, and a play will then be established. He is expected to address the media prior to today’s game.

Barney has played the overwhelming majority of his MLB games at second base, so he figures to be depth behind Cliff Pennington with Ryan Goins firmly entrenched as the new starting shortstop. Given the recent surge at the plate from Goins, this isn’t the disaster it may have once been. We’ll see if Barney is favored over Munenori Kawasaki when it comes time to field a late game replacement, but if all goes as planned, this is a depth addition that we’ll hear very little from.

Next: Will Osuna, Sanchez get a shot at 2016 rotation?

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