What Happens to Austin Barnes?

Austin Barnes was drafted by the Marlins in the 9th round of the 2011 amateur draft. In December of 2014, Austin was acquired by Andrew Friedman in one of his first trades with the Dodgers. He was a key piece in the Dee Gordon trade wherein the Dodgers traded Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas, and cash for Chris Hatcher, Andrew Heaney, Kike Hernandez, and Austin Barnes. Austin Barnes might have been the best player acquired in that trade based on longevity as a foundational piece of the team. It is unusual to say that a backup catcher is a “foundational piece” for a team, but he has always been ready to play, having only a couple of IL bouts.