Just a few hours after the team announced that they had brought back recently-non-tendered Chi Chi Gonzalez, the Texas Rangers reunion tour continued: the team announced that Tony Barnette will be back in his familiar #43 in Arlington in 2018.
Barnette has spent the last two seasons as a Ranger after pitching in Japan from 2010-15 and reinventing himself as a late-innings reliever. His first season in Texas was an unquestionable success, as he racked up a 2.09 ERA in 60⅓ innings and hurled four innings in the postseason, allowing not a single baserunner.
But 2017 proved to be a little more challenging for the 33- (now 34-)year-old righty, as he allowed 35 earned runs in 57⅓ innings. His strikeout rate jumped from 7.3/9ip to 8.9/9ip, but so too did his HR/9 (nearly doubling from .6 to 1.1/9) and hits/9 (10.0, up from 8.1) and walks (2.4 up to 3.5).
Texas had an option on Barnette for the 2018 season at $4m, but declined it at season’s end, making him a free agent. The new contract brings him back at 37% of that price. If he can regain some of the 2016 magic, it will be a steal.
Joe Siegler says
Hey, how much did Barnette get in the payout for the 2018 option that wasn’t picked up?
Joe Siegler says
Nevermind. It was $250,000. So basically we got Fister & Barnette for $1.75m in “new money” vs the $4m that Barnette would have gotten in 2018 if we picked up his option.
fireovid says
Barnette was SO much better in the 2nd half for whatever reason. Which is always more promising than the reverse. Welcome back Tony!