Let’s not sugarcoat anything—we all saw that coming. It might have been a surprise for some to see the longest-tenured player for the Los Angeles Dodgers get removed from the roster, given that he had spent 11 seasons with the Dodgers. But the defending champions are known for experimenting quite often, and it was nothing new this time. The decision was made keeping in mind that the Dodgers wanted to try everything to win, but what did the Dodgers’ president himself have to say about it?

The veteran catcher Austin Barnes had a decorated career with the Dodgers. In his eleven seasons with the Dodgers, he batted at an average of .223, posted 338 hits, 35 home runs, along with 162 RBIs, and scored 206 runs. However, he has now been DFA’d, with the Dodgers making room for one of the top prospects named Dalton Rushing.

In an interview with Jack Harris of the LA Times, President Andrew Friedman opened up about it. “Obviously, Austin has been a huge part of this organization for a long time; he’s been in the middle of a lot of really big moments for us. His impact has been significant. So it was one of the harder decisions,” he said.

Clearing the air surrounding Barnes’ removal, Friedman further added, “Rush has obviously been on our radar for a long time in terms of when and how to introduce him to the major league team. I think with the improvements we’ve seen year over year, coupled with being in a tight division race. I think it falls in line with our consistent message of doing anything and everything we can to win.”

Source: MLB.com

Well, honestly, Andrew Friedman’s got a point. First of all, Barnes doesn’t have the age advantage, and there are uncertainties about how he may perform in the next couple of years. Secondly, the Dodgers have made it clear that they want to lift the World Championship title once again. With Barnes going for .214/.233/.286, two RBIs, and a .518 OPS, he hasn’t been in the best of form.

Interestingly, the Dodgers, boasting great talents in their roster, have had little scope to promote the young prospects. So, the decision perhaps came in light of the various factors that would come into play with their goal of winning the 2025 championship. Dalton Rushing made his debut on Thursday, and he already showed signs of what he could do in the games to follow. He went 2-for-4 along with a walk and a single.

Before Barnes, Dodgers’ Max Muncy was also at the centre of discussions that might have changed the infield chemistry of the Dodgers.

Dodgers’ Max Muncy recalled the rumors about his potential replacement

While the Dodgers’ president made it clear that the decision to remove Austin Barnes was purely based on their motive to try out everything they could to win the championship title, Max Muncy recalled a similar incident that happened earlier. Muncy was struggling in the earlier part of the season, and that’s when rumors started swirling about him getting replaced by St Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado.

And as expected, the motive was the same that time as well. Muncy, though, cleared the air, saying, “It’s a business, especially when you’re on a team like this where they expect to win the World Series. You also understand if there’s any chance that they can improve; they’re probably going to take that chance.”

However, that didn’t happen ultimately. General manager Brandon Gomes put all the rumors to rest, specifying that “Muncy’s going to play third base for us. He’s such a big piece of what we do and has been a staple. So, yeah, Max is playing third base.”

However, this year hasn’t gone the way Muncy would have expected. He has posted only one home run, 4 RBIs at a .176 average with a .211 OBP and .490 OPS. Not to forget the problem in his right eye, which might also have taken a toll on his performance. If he can get back to his best form, the Dodgers would like to keep him for more.

Nonetheless, do you think Austin Barnes being DFA’d was a good move by the Dodgers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.