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 Dodgersā, Barnes appeared in just 612 games over 11 seasons.
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