Reds: 5 non-tender candidates Cincinnati could target this offseason

1. Matt Barnes would fill a need in the Reds bullpen.

A former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2011, Matt Barnes may well be on his way out of Bean Town. The right-handed hurler could definitely fill a need in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, especially if Michael Lorenzen becomes part of the starting rotation next season.

Last season, Barnes went 1-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings. Barnes posted nine saves, but blew four saves. While the first part of the 2020 season was unkind to Matt Barnes, he more than made up for it over the final month of the season.

It’s hard to put a lot of stock into the limited playing time a lot of relievers endured during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. Over his final 11 games during the month of September, Barnes earned six saves while tossing 10 innings of work and struck out 15 of the 41 batters he faced. Barnes put up a 2.70 ERA over the final month of the season and allowed opponents to hit just .189.

With the Reds unlikely to meet Trevor Bauer’s contract demands, it seems more and more plausible that Cincinnati will look internally to fill the vacancy in the rotation. Lorenzen or Tejay Antone appear to be the leading candidates. If that is the case, Nick Krall will need to find a suitable replacement in the bullpen.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, in the final year of his arbitration window, Barnes is expected to take home between $3.7M-$5.7M. That’s a high price for a team that is likely looking to rebuild following a last-place finish in 2020.