In December, the Chicago Cubs signed catcher Tucker Barnhart to a two year deal with a player option (and potential incentives).
According to ESPN, Barnhart’s deal is worth $6.5 million dollars and includes a player option for 2024 as well as the potential to earn an additional $3 million dollars in incentives.
Barnhart’s bio states he played for multiple Major League Baseball teams including the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He also made his MLB debut in 2014 and won the Gold Glove Award in 2017 and 2020.
Following his Major League debut with the Reds, his bio also states he was optioned to the Louisville Class AAA International League on April 7, 2014. He was later recalled by the Reds, and on May 1, 2014, he hit his first major league home run against the Milwaukee Brewers’ Marco Estrada.
Barnhart started 67 games at catcher for the Reds in 2015 and 108 games in 2016. On September 22, 2017, Barnhart signed a four-year contract extension with the Reds, worth $16 million, plus a $7.5 million club option for the 2022 season.
He led National League catchers in wins above replacement and caught stealing percentage. He also led the major leagues in runners caught stealing (32). After the 2017 season, he won his first Gold Glove Award.
In 2020 for the Reds, Barnhart played in 38 games, batting .204/.291/.388 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. After the season, he was awarded the Gold Glove Award for NL catchers, the second Gold Glove Award of his career. On May 7, 2021, Barnhart caught Wade Miley’s no-hitter. He finished the 2021 season batting .247/.317/.368 with 7 home runs and 48 RBIs in 116 games.
On November 3, 2021, the Reds traded Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers for Nick Quintana. On November 7, the Tigers exercised the $7.5 million option for Barnhart for the 2022 season. Barnhart batted .221 with a .554 on-base plus slugging in 94 games for the Tigers in 2022.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
