Blue Jays: Danny Barnes clears waivers, stays in organization

Right-handed relief pitcher Danny Barnes will be remaining with the Blue Jays organization after clearing waivers, the team announced Tuesday.

The Blue Jays announced Tuesday evening that reliever Danny Barnes, who was designated for assignment to make room for the newly signed Freddy Galvis on January 29, has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo.

The team also announced that he will be at major league camp in spring training as a non-roster invitee. Pitchers and catchers will report to the Blue Jays’ spring training home in Dunedin on  February 14.

Barnes, 29, struggled through injuries this season and managed to log 41 innings at an ERA of 5.71. Striking out 38 in 47 appearances, he finished six games in his third big league season. Having walked 22, Barnes saw his WHIP balloon to an ugly 1.68 and was placed on the disabled list in June with a knee injury.

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Just one year removed from his most productive campaign (66.0 IP, 3.55 ERA, 62 SO, 1.09 WHIP, 1.4 WAR), Barnes will now get an opportunity to potentially regain some of his lost stock pitching for a Blue Jays team that, as of right now, doesn’t have a whole lot of locks for their bullpen in 2019.

A 35th round draft pick of the Blue Jays in 2010, Barnes spent time with every minor league affiliate except the Rookie-level Bluefield Blue Jays since being drafted. In 2018, he went on a rehab stint that included stops in Buffalo and with the team’s Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate.

Barnes will now join hurlers Javy Guerra, Mark Leiter Jr., Willy Ortiz, Shawn Morimando, T.J. Zeuch, Justin Shafer and Zach Jackson as non-roster invitees to big league spring training in Florida

For his career, the native of Manhasset, New York has amassed six wins and 114 strikeouts in 120.2 frames spread across 119 games.