ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Darwin Barney joined the Toronto Blue Jays in a pinch Sept. 13, played in 15 games as Troy Tulowitzki recovered from a fracture in his shoulder, and now departs, ineligible for the post-season roster, having contributed in a small way to an American League East champion.
“It’s the second time that I’ve thought it’s my last game this year,” Barney said before hitting a two-run homer in the season-ending 12-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. “It’s sad, it kind of sucks not to be able to be a part of it and see this thing through, but it was nice to be a part of this thing altogether.
“We’ll see what happens in the off-season, that’s kind of where my head is at right now. Take care of business, go from there, and see what happens.”
General manager Alex Anthopoulos acquired Barney – he was home in Oregon after finishing the season at triple-A Oklahoma City – from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the hours after Tulowitzki suffered his injury Sept. 12. Though he wouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs because he wasn’t in the system prior to Sept. 1, the thinking was he could help bridge the gap while the all-star shortstop recovered.
A gifted defender who won a Gold Glove in 2012, he made several stellar plays in the field but also contributed at the plate, too, going 7-for-23 with two homers and four RBI.
“I was happy about it,” he said of his play. “Just working with the guys here and stuff on the offensive side of things, I feel like I can learn to become myself. Obviously on a team like this, my defence and what I can do on that side of the ball has a lot of value. We’ll see. I’ve grown to like the guys here, had a good time, and you always hope for the best and hope at some point maybe they’ll want you back. There’s a lot to be said in the off-season, you never know.”
Barney is arbitration eligible for 2016, although he’s a candidate to be non-tendered. With Tulowitzki, Ryan Goins and Devon Travis all due back next season, there likely isn’t a spot for him, either.
He’ll keep an eye on how the Blue Jays fare in the post-season back at home.
“Since I’m not eligible it doesn’t make sense to go to workouts and do all that and be away from my family,” he said. “As much as I’d like to stick around and be a part of it, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m going to be going home and support them from there.”
