Clayton Kershaw (37, Los Angeles Dodgers), who is about to return to Major League Baseball after recovering from an injury, received shocking news. He couldn't hide his sadness over the news of the release of his dedicated catcher, Austin Barnes (36).

The Dodgers designated Barnes for assignment (DFA) on the 15th (Korean time) and called up their top prospect, catcher Dalton Rushing (24). Rushing made his debut as the seventh batter and catcher against the Athletics on the 16th, going 2-for-4 with one walk and three runs scored, while Barnes is going through the process of parting ways with the Dodgers. If no team claims him during the waiver period, he will become a free agent.

For Kershaw, who is preparing for his first start of the season and his return from injury against the Los Angeles Angels on the 18th, parting with Barnes is also disappointing. According to 'DodgerBlue.com,' Kershaw said in an interview with local reporters on the 16th regarding Barnes' DFA, "Everyone was surprised, and it's a sad thing. Barnes is one of my closest friends both on and off the baseball field. There is no one who competes harder than he does. He wants to win more than anyone else."

Kershaw continued, "Barnes has played a crucial role for several years. He has often started in playoff games and led to victories in important moments, and I think people have forgotten that. It's really sad to say goodbye to a player I've been with for so long," adding, "I don’t mean to disregard Rushing. He fully deserves to debut and will be an excellent player in the future. However, personally, it was disappointing for me and many players on the team that Barnes is leaving."

Drafted by the Florida Marlins (now Miami) in the 9th round as the 283rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, Barnes joined the Dodgers through a trade in December 2014 and made his Major League debut in 2015. He spent all 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers and was the second-longest tenured player on the team after Kershaw.

His career stats include 612 games, a batting average of .223 (338 hits in 1,516 at-bats), 35 home runs, 162 RBIs, and an OPS of .660. Although he was not a starting catcher, he played a solid backup role with stable defense, contributing to two World Series championships in 2020 and last year. In the 2020 World Series, Barnes started and capped off the championship-clinching game.

Throughout his career, Kershaw has battery-mated most with A.J. Ellis, appearing in 188 games together. Barnes was next with 86 games. While Kershaw feels a significant loss from losing his partner, Barnes has struggled this year, with a batting average of .214 (9 hits in 42 at-bats), 2 RBIs, and an OPS of .518 in 13 games. With a salary of $3.5 million this year, the likelihood of another team claiming him off waivers to take on the remaining salary is low. For the Dodgers, parting ways with Barnes while forgoing his salary shows their focus on building the best roster possible.

Given the Dodgers' recent decisions, another player is also at risk. Utility player Chris Taylor (35) cannot be at ease either. Taylor, who has shown a drastic decline in batting since last year, has posted a batting average of .200 (7 hits in 35 at-bats) with 2 RBIs and an OPS of .457 in 28 games this year, marking the worst performance of his career. Although his salary is $13 million, making it challenging to let him go easily, it is the final year of his contract, and if his performance does not improve, it will be difficult to wait until the end of the season.

Recent observations of the Dodgers reflect this situation as well. The Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim (26) after Tommy Edman was placed on the injured list with an ankle injury. Kim has excelled in his primary position as a second baseman as well as playing center field and shortstop, achieving a batting average of .429 (12 hits in 28 at-bats) with 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 9 runs scored, 3 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of .467, a slugging percentage of .571, and an OPS of 1.038 over 12 games.

Initially, it was expected that Kim would be sent back to Triple-A when Edman returned from injury. However, after outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was injured and placed on the injured list, he bought some extra time, but once both players return next week, Kim will have to make way. If Kim continues to perform at this level, the Dodgers could decide to part ways with Taylor as they pursue maximizing their roster, similarly to how they let Barnes go.

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