MIAMI — The Miami Marlins acquired reliever Matt Barnes in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Miami sent lefty Richard Blair to Boston in exchange for Barnes and cash considerations. Barnes, 32, was designated by assignment last week when the Red Sox signed outfielder Adam Duvall.
Barnes helped Boston go 6-4 in the 2018 World Series with a 3.65 ERA and struck out 96 in 61 1/3 innings in 62 games that season.
In 2021, he had 24 saves and was named to the American League All-Star team, but he began to struggle in the second half of the season and lost his role as a closer. He went 0-4 with a 4.31 ERA and 8 saves in 44 appearances last season, in which he struck out 34 and walked 21 in 39 2/3 innings.
Blair, 35, went 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 2022. He had one start and one save.
Hailing from Miami, Blair made his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 2016. He went 14-6 with Baltimore in 308 games with a 3.06 ERA.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Barnes was Boston’s 19th overall pick out of UConn in 2011. Switch starter and is 32-30 with a 4.07 ERA and 47 saves in nine major league seasons.