After 11 years and 400 games, Barnes' Sox journey nears pivotal moment

May 22—Growing up in Connecticut, Matt Barnes always dreamed of pitching for the New York Yankees.

Having come of age during the height of New York's late-1990s dynasty, Barnes imagined himself following in the footsteps of Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera to compete for championships and take part in baseball's biggest rivalry.

Fast forward about two decades and nearly everything Barnes dreamed of has come true. He became an established major leaguer, won a World Series title, and only a small handful of pitchers have ever appeared in more games for a single franchise.

That it wound up happening with the Red Sox — and not the Yankees — is a twist he might not have appreciated as a kid but is grateful for now.

"Doing it for the Yankees at that point in my life would have been a dream come true, but after spending 11 years with the Red Sox there is nowhere else I'd rather want to play," Barnes said.

This week Barnes became the third pitcher in Red Sox history to appear in 400 games with the club, joining Bob Stanley (637) and Tim Wakefield (590) as the franchise's all-time leaders in games pitched. He recently surpassed former Red Sox standouts Mike Timlin and Jonathan Papelbon to move into the top three, and he can now say he's pitched in more games with the Red Sox than club legends like Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens and even Cy Young.

That Barnes came to occupy such a vaunted place in the Red Sox record book seems unlikely. His career hasn't come without its bumps along the way, and today he finds his career in Boston at a crossroads as he fights his way through the longest and most severe slump of his professional career.

How he performs over the coming weeks and months could determine how he's ultimately remembered in Boston, but while he's urgently focused on the future, he acknowledged that having the chance to pitch in Boston for as long as he has is something he's proud of.

"I'm humbled and fortunate, this is a historic franchise and I've been very fortunate enough to be part of some really good teams here," Barnes said. "It's a testament to the coaching staff and training staff for keeping me on the field for as long as I've been able to. The guys that I've played with who have kept me in line and the catchers and everyone who have really done their job behind the dish. It's awesome and really cool but it's not just me, it's a group of collective people who have allowed me to get this position."

A homegrown success

For all of the criticism that's been thrown Barnes' way in recent months, it's undeniable that he's been the organization's most successful homegrown pitcher of the past decade.

Originally a first round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft out of UConn, Barnes was Boston's top pick in what may have been among the organization's best draft classes ever. He led a group that also included longtime big league teammates Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts and Travis Shaw, and quickly rose through the minor league ranks before making his big league debut towards the end of the 2014 season.

A starting pitcher in college and the minors, Barnes was converted to a relief pitcher full-time in 2015 and has been a foundational piece of the bullpen ever since. At his best Barnes has been an overpowering late-inning weapon, and likely the most significant stretch of his Red Sox career came in the 2018 postseason, when he posted a 1.04 ERA over 10 appearances to help the club win its most recent World Series championship.

While Barnes couldn't single out a specific game as the most memorable of his professional career, he pointed to his scoreless eighth inning in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium — which famously went on for 18 innings — as one of the highlights of his Red Sox tenure.

"I know we ended up losing that game but that was huge," Barnes said. "Really any postseason game, the stakes are always super high. I don't know if there's once specific one but I've been fortunate enough to throw in some pretty cool games."

Facing adversity initially 2021 was shaping up to be a career year for Barnes. The veteran got off to a fantastic start, establishing himself as the club's closer and earning his first all-star selection. Things culminated with his signing a two-year contract extension in mid-July that ensured he'd remain with the Red Sox through at least the 2023 season.

Barnes was on top of the world. and that's when everything fell apart.

The trouble started in early August, when Barnes endured a calamitous string of outings during a road trip to Toronto. He allowed a walkoff home run to Marcus Semien in the first game of a doubleheader, nearly allowed another to Vlad Guerrero Jr. in the second game later that afternoon, and the following day was tagged for a go-ahead three-run shot by former college teammate George Springer in the eighth.

He later contracted COVID-19, and things continued to snowball from there. By season's end he'd posted a 10.13 ERA over his final 16 appearances, a stretch that cost him the closer role and even a spot on Boston's playoff roster.

Barnes is still trying to fight his way back. The start of this season has not gone according to plan, and as of this writing he has a 7.11 ERA through his first 15 appearances.

Even still, while he acknowledged the on-field results aren't there yet, he feels like he isn't far from a breakthrough.

"From where I felt two weeks ago to where I feel now in terms of stuff, the play of the fastball, the command of the stuff, the shape of the curveball, my overall comfort and confidence on the mound is much greater than it was two weeks ago," said Barnes, who added that he's made a number of mechanical adjustments recently he thinks have helped a lot. "I feel really good about where my stuff is at right now.

"I know it's really frustrating and it's more frustrating for me than anybody else," he continued. "But we're going to continue to work at it and we've made really good strides in the last two weeks and I feel really good about my stuff right now and confident that what I have right now is more than enough to get guys out."

To this point the Red Sox have shown a willingness to be patient with their longest-tenured pitcher. Manager Alex Cora has continued to use Barnes in high-leverage spots, and over the past week that faith has been rewarded as Barnes' velocity, spin rate and command have all noticeably improved.

With the late innings still a problem for the bullpen, figuring out a way to help Barnes rediscover his old dominance has been a top priority.

"He's done an amazing job for this organization. He cares about this organization. He made a commitment with us last year, just to stay with us. I know probably people in the industry were like you should play it out and see what happens, but he likes it here," Cora said. "He grew up here and that's why we're working so hard with him. We have to get him right."

Legacy on the lineFair or not, Barnes' legacy in Boston could depend on his success or failure this season.

If he can get back to his old self, stabilize the bullpen and play a key role in another playoff run, Barnes could go down as a significant relief pitcher in team history. A best case scenario would see him fondly remembered for his championship contributions and regularly welcomed back similar to Keith Foulke, Koji Uehara and Papelbon.

But if things go the other way, his successes will probably wind up being overshadowed by the ugly ending. He risks being remembered as the guy who signed a big contract and then completely fell apart.

It would be a shame if things came to that, especially for a homegrown player who spent more than a decade with the organization and was a key part of a World Series championship.

How things go from here remains anyone's guess, but Saturday marked an important step forward. With the Red Sox ahead 6-5 heading into the top of the ninth, Barnes was entrusted with the save situation and delivered a scoreless inning to close out the win.

"That one felt really good," he said afterwards.

If all goes well, Barnes hopes to remain a part of the Red Sox for many years to come. But whatever happens next he's grateful for the opportunities he's had and for the experiences he'll carry with him forever.

"It flies by and every year goes faster and faster. You look at certain times throughout your career and it feels like it was yesterday," Barnes said. "I've been fortunate to not only play for that long, and hopefully longer, but to do it for such an incredible organization."

Rafaela enjoying Betts-like rise

Ceddanne Rafaela is far from the most imposing prospect in the Red Sox system. Standing at 5-foot-8, 152 pounds, Rafaela looks like a slap hitter in the mold of Juan Pierre, not necessarily someone you'd think would have any kind of pop.

And yet, through the first month and a half of the season, there have been few in the Red Sox organization more adept at driving the ball to all fields.

The 21-year-old center fielder has been a revelation this spring, going from an intriguing utility player with excellent speed and defensive abilities to potentially much more. Rafaela has been among the system's top all-around offensive players, boasting a .938 OPS to go along with a .314 average, nine home runs and 11 stolen bases, and that he's posted such great numbers this early in his tenure with the High-A Greenville Drive is particularly impressive.

How has he been able to do it?

"There are always guys whose abilities are harder to comprehend," said Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham. "You look at a guy like Mookie Betts. He did similar things with a smaller body type and I think there is a lot of fast twitch, a lot of strength in there. I think there are a lot of different parts of the body that move really well together that allow him to drive the baseball."

The comparison to Betts is a notable one, given how Rafaela's rise through the Red Sox system has resembled the future MVP's. Like Betts, Rafaela started off as an unheralded middle infielder who successfully transitioned to the outfield, and like Betts, Rafaela has developed an advanced skillset that allows him to make a far greater impact than his physical stature would suggest.

Originally from Curacao, Rafaela signed with the Red Sox for only $10,000 as an international free agent in 2017 and initially drew renown for his speed and defensive instincts. He primarily played rookie ball before the pandemic and enjoyed a strong second half in Low-A Salem last summer, eventually earning Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year for his play in both the middle infield and at center field.

Abraham said he also sensed a change in Rafaela around that same time, when it seemed like he really grasped what he needed to do to achieve his goals.

"There is always a point in a player's career where it kind of clicks," Abraham said. "I really think last year is when it clicked for him, understanding the type of player he is and the type of player he can be."

Now he's really starting to take off.

Entering Saturday Rafaela led the South Atlantic League in hits (48) and on Tuesday he hit for the cycle, capping off the 4 for 5 day by hitting a solo home run to achieve the milestone in the eighth inning. He now ranks as No. 15 prospect in Boston's system according to SoxProspects.com, and if he keeps producing anywhere near his current rate then a promotion to Double-A should be all but inevitable.

Whether he continues to produce at the higher levels of the minor leagues remains to be seen, but Rafaela's breakthrough this spring should be very exciting for Red Sox fans.

The future is now

Lately Red Sox fans have gotten a good look at some of the top prospects in all of baseball. This weekend the Seattle Mariners brought 21-year-old outfielder Julio Rodriguez, who ranked as baseball's No. 2 overall prospect before he graduated from the rankings, as well as No. 8 ranked George Kirby, who was Seattle's starting pitcher in Thursday's series opener.

Now fans can look forward to seeing a player many believe might be the game's next great catcher.

This weekend the Baltimore Orioles called up Adley Rutschman, the game's No. 1 overall prospect and the prize of the organization's years-long rebuild. The 22-year-old Rutschman is a switch hitting catcher with a rare combination of power, plate discipline, defense and leadership skills, and next weekend he'll be coming to Fenway Park when the Red Sox host the Orioles for a rare five-game series.

Red Sox fans who swing by Fenway for Saturday's doubleheader might get a sneak preview of one of Boston's own top prospects, as manager Alex Cora indicated the club will most likely call up a pitcher from the minor leagues to cover one of that day's games.

The top candidate would be Triple-A starter Josh Winckowski, one of the prospects acquired in the 2021 Andrew Benintendi trade who currently boasts a 2.10 ERA through six starts in Worcester. Winckowski would be in line to start Saturday on regular rest, though if for whatever reason the Red Sox decided to use someone else, Portland Sea Dogs standout Brandon Walter (3.14 ERA, 60 strikeouts against 3 walks) would also be lined up and a potential option as well.

Sale throws bullpen

There is finally good news to report on the Chris Sale front, as Alex Cora announced that the lefty threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Thursday. That marked Sale's first work from the mound since suffering a setback in his recovery from an offseason rib injury that has sidelined him throughout the early part of the season.

Cora said that fellow starter James Paxton, who was also shut down following a setback of his own recovering from Tommy John surgery, is still not doing any work on the field but that he's feeling better. Relief pitcher Josh Taylor (back) has also been seen playing catch pregame at Fenway Park but Cora said they are taking things slow to make sure he doesn't aggravate the injury.

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.