The Reds signed Barnhart to a minor-league contract on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Barnhart was released by the Diamondbacks in early July, and after spending a month in free agency, the 33-year-old catcher has finally found a home. He'll return to a Reds organization which he spent the first 13 years of his professional career with after being selected in the 10th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Considering Cincinnati isn't very thin at the catcher position, Barnhart doesn't have a clear path to big-league at-bats. He should be expected to report to Triple-A Louisville.
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Tucker Barnhart: Released by Arizona
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks released Barnhart on Saturday.
Barnhart predictably passed through waivers after being designated for assignment and is now officially a free agent. The veteran catcher should be able to find work elsewhere but is likely to have to accept a minor-league contract.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Barnhart was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks on Sunday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Barnhart will now be placed on waivers and the other 29 teams in the league will have an opportunity to claim him. The catcher has produced a .173 average with two doubles, six RBI, 13 runs scored and a stolen base over 81 at-bats in 31 games with Arizona this season. With Barnhart's disappointing output at the plate this year, he'll be the odd man out with Gabriel Moreno (thumb) expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Jose Herrera will operate as the primary backup behind Moreno at catcher with the Diamondbacks.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Getting Saturday off
Rotowire
Barnhart isn't in the Diamondbacks' lineup for Saturday's game versus Oakland.
The switch-hitting Barnhart owns just a .290 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, so he'll take a seat Saturday as the A's send southpaw Hogan Harris to the mound. Jose Herrera will fill in behind the dish and bat ninth.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Resting Thursday
Rotowire
Barnhart is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins.
Barnhart had started behind the plate in three of the past four games but will get a breather for the day game after the night game. Jose Herrera will handle the catching duties Thursday, but Barnhart looks poised to serve as the Diamondbacks' top backstop until Gabriel Moreno (thumb) is back from the injured list.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Moves up depth chart
Rotowire
Barnhart went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Saturday's 12-1 loss to the Phillies.
Barnhart drove in Arizona's lone run and has RBI in three of his last four starts. He stepped in as the starting catcher Saturday after the Diamondbacks placed primary backstop Gabriel Moreno (thumb) on the 10-day injured list. Barnhart moves to the top of the depth chart with Jose Herrera called up from Triple-A Reno to serve as the backup.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Back on bench Monday
Rotowire
Barnhart is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.
As expected, Barnhart will retreat to the bench after he filled in for a resting Gabriel Moreno in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Mets. Moreno entered the season as the Diamondbacks' clear No. 1 backstop, and Barnhart has done little to change the pecking order behind the plate by hitting just .154 over 52 at-bats.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Makes two straight starts
Rotowire
Barnhart went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs.
Barnhart made a second consecutive start in place of Gabriel Moreno (thumb) and had his first extra-base hit of the season. Moreno did enter the game as a pinch hitter for Barnhart in the bottom of the ninth inning, flying out to right field. That suggests Moreno could return to the starting lineup Thursday at San Francisco.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Makes first start
Rotowire
Barnhart went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and one run in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Rockies.
Barnhart made his first start of the regular season, giving Gabriel Moreno a day off in the final game of the season-opening four-game set against Colorado. Moreno made 99 starts behind the plate in 2023 and should see a similar workload this season.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Added to Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks selected Barnhart's contract Monday.
The transaction confirms that Barnhart will be a part of the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster, which had already been made apparent when his primary competition for the No. 2 catcher role, Jose Herrera, was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday. During his time in the big leagues with the Reds, Tigers and Cubs, Barnhart has been valued for his defensive work and ability to handle a pitching staff, but the Diamondbacks aren't likely to count on him to make more than one or two starts per week while top backstop Gabriel Moreno is healthy.
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Diamondbacks' Tucker Barnhart: Gets NRI deal from Arizona
Rotowire
Barnhart signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.
Barnhart slashed .202/.285/.257 with nine RBI across 123 plate appearances with the Cubs last season before being DFA'd and finishing the year with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. With Gabriel Moreno virtually locked in as Arizona's everyday catcher, Barnhart will compete with Jose Herrera in the spring for the backup job.
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Dodgers' Tucker Barnhart: Joins Dodgers on MiLB deal
Rotowire
Barnhart agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
The Dodgers already have Will Smith and Austin Barnes as their catching options at the MLB level and both are healthy, so Barnhart looks as though he'll represent little more than organizational depth for Los Angeles. However, with the active roster expanding from 26 to 28 men in September, Barnhart could be a candidate to join the big club during the final month of the season as a third option behind the dish. Prior to being let go by the Cubs earlier this month, Barnhart slashed .202/.285/.257 with one home run in 123 plate appearances on the season.
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Tucker Barnhart: Heads to free-agent market
Rotowire
The Cubs released Barnhart on Sunday.
Barnhart cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and has now officially hit the free-agent market. The veteran catcher managed just a .541 OPS across 44 games for the Cubs this season.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
The Cubs designated Barnhart for assignment Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Barnhart already wasn't receiving much playing time as the third catcher on the Cubs' depth chart, and now he'll lose his spot on Chicago's 40-man roster. The 32-year-old backstop has slashed .202/.285/.257 through 123 plate appearances this season. Miles Mastrobuoni was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Enters Sunday lineup
Rotowire
Barnhart is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Sunday's game against the Yankees.
Barnhart will start the final game before the All-Star break with Yan Gomes getting a breather. The former is struggling in a reserve role with a .189 batting average and .508 OPS across 36 games, and he's not really on the fantasy radar at this point, particularly with Miguel Amaya also on the roster as another option behind Gomes.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Hits first 2023 home run
Rotowire
Barnhart went 1-for-3 with a walk and solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.
Barnhart's third-inning home run was his first of the season and just his second in the last two years. The veteran catcher has seen his playing time dwindle behind Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya. With just a .503 OPS and two players ahead of him on the depth chart, Barnhart is off the fantasy radar at the moment.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Seeing scant work behind Gomes
Rotowire
Barnhart remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros.
Barnhart had already been occupying the smaller side of a timeshare at catcher with Miguel Amaya early last week, but the former has seen his playing-time outlook become worse with the return of Yan Gomes (concussion) from the 7-day injured list. Even with Amaya now back in the minors, Barnhart has now sat out five times in the Cubs' last six games.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: On bench Sunday
Rotowire
Barnhart is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Barnhart has a .464 OPS in 45 plate appearances and will take a seat Sunday for the third time in the past four games. Top catcher Yan Gomes (concussion) is on the injured list, and rookie Miguel Amaya is 1-for-5 with two RBI since his promotion Tuesday.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Sits in second straight
Rotowire
Barnhart is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins.
Barnhart had started behind the dish in the Cubs' first two games since Yan Gomes suffered a head injury Monday that was later diagnosed as a concussion, but rookie Miguel Amaya will now make a second consecutive start Friday while Barnhart retreats to the bench. Though Barnhart is the more battle-tested backstop and the superior defensive option, his puny .449 OPS over 42 plate appearances has opened the door for Amaya to perhaps become part of a timeshare at the position while Gomes is on the 7-day injured list.
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Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: On bench versus righty
Rotowire
Barnhart is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Barnhart had drawn starts behind the dish on the last two occasions the Cubs opposed right-handed starting pitchers, but he'll take a seat Sunday against Marlins righty Bryan Hoeing, perhaps because the two teams are facing a quick turnaround for the series finale, which starts at 12:05 p.m. ET. Yan Gomes will catch for starting pitcher Justin Steele on Sunday.
