Blue Jays: Re-signing Darwin Barney should be a given

With the Jays season over and October baseball upon us, the Jays front office has already turned their minds towards the 2018 season.  Within the many decisions they need to make, one that needs to be discussed and talked about is whether to re-sign free agent infielder, Darwin Barney.

Darwin Barney came to Toronto in September of 2015 and played in a total of 15 games where he batted an impressive .304 with two home runs and four RBI.  The Jays rewarded his short audition with a one year, $1.05M contract for the 2016 season.  Barney played in a total of 104 games that season in a variety of positions including shortstop, second base, third base, left fielder, and as a pitcher. Who can forget his venture into professional pitching on Canada Day in the infamous 19 inning game against Cleveland?

Barney re-signed with the Jays on January 12, 2017, agreeing to a one year, $2.8875M contract.  He finished the season hitting with an average of .232 in 129 games and 336 at bats.  Though not shattering any batting records with that average, his hit count was decent (78), his strike out rate was low (19%) and he came to be one of the most depended upon Jays in the 2017 season.

No one can predict when or if injuries will occur, but bad luck in that area seemed to have followed the Jays this season.  With Devon Travis and Troy Tulowitzki both suffering season ending injuries in the summer months, the Jays relied heavily upon Barney and Ryan Goins to fill in the gaps in the infield.

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Not every player is going to hit .300, 30+ home runs, 100+ RBI season.  Sometimes a team is looking for a versatile player – one that can adapt to different positions and enter the game at a moment’s notice whether to pinch hit or play defensively.  In 129 games this season, Barney committed eight errors whereas his counterpart, Tulowitzki, committed the same amount, except he played in a total of 64 games, or half Barney’s total!  Tulo also got paid $20M this past season.  That alone should put things into perspective when making a decision regarding Barney and his tenure in Toronto.

For everyday people like you and me, earning a seven figure salary is a dream that most will never achieve.  However, in the professional sporting world of baseball, earning $2.8875M is not only considered significantly low, but in some cases, a great bargain!  The ability to stay healthy, be a solid defender and a consistent hitter are three attributes any team would want in their players.  These are three attributes that Barney showcases, and has done so this past season.  Add in his comparatively low salary and one has an extremely strong case as to why re-signing Barney should be a given for the Jays in 2018.

Next: J.D. Martinez would be a perfect fit in Toronto