Blue Jays acquire reliever Barnes from Mets

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired veteran reliever Jacob Barnes from the New York Mets on Saturday. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays/Twitter

June 18, 2021

By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

On Saturday, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets came together on a deal that sends RHP Jacob Barnes to Toronto in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Troy Miller.

Barnes, 31, has amassed a cumulative ERA of 4.53 across 219 big league games, all but one of which have come as a reliever. Over 216 2/3 innings, the former 14th-round draft pick has struck out 227 batters while issuing 93 walks. He owns a career WHIP of 1.380.

In 19 relief appearances with the Mets this season, the Florida native has allowed 13 runs on 19 hits scattered across 18 2/3 innings.

Miller, 24, has appeared in parts of three minor league campaigns dating back to his professional debut in 2018. Through 39 games (28 starts), the 6-foot-4 product of Aptos, Calif., has allowed 79 earned runs through 150 2/3 innings, striking out 123 batters over that stretch.

Barnes projects to join a bullpen that is responsible for the second-most losses (17) in the American League.

Even though Blue Jays relievers have allowed the fourth-lowest opponents batting average in the Junior Circuit this season (.223),the group is responsible for 122 runs in 259 2/3 innings, and are in the midst of a dismal span that has seen them allow a combined 28 runs over the last seven days.

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