The New York Mets are willing to pay Austin Barnes well in order to keep him motivated and push him to give his best effort during spring training as he tries to earn a spot in the majors. As part of his minor league deal, Barnes will receive $1.5 million, along with an additional significant bonus.
If Barnes reaches the majors with the Mets, he would earn an extra $500,000, bringing the total value of the deal to $2 million, according to Jon Heyman. That represents a strong incentive for an 11-year MLB veteran who may have just played his final season with the Dodgers last year.
Despite spending more than a decade in Los Angeles, Barnes has career earnings of under $20 million, highlighting how little non-starting catchers often make. On a roster as competitive as the Dodgers’, Barnes appeared in just 612 games over 11 seasons.
Barnes’ total career earnings
After 11 seasons in the majors with the Dodgers, Barnes earned a total of $17,620,766, a figure that also includes his first MLB payment, a $95,000 signing bonus from the Marlins, despite never appearing in a game for the organization.
His largest contracts came during the 2023–2025 span, when he earned $3.5 million in three different seasons. Barnes was expected to retire with the Dodgers, but that will not be the case. Now, with the Mets, he could have a second chance to slightly increase his career earnings.
If Barnes reaches the majors with New York, he would give the Mets a reliable and experienced backup catcher, capable of supporting the team’s current catching group, including Luis Torrens, who is expected to remain a key piece behind the plate.