Dodgers avoid arb with Barnes, non-tender Yimi

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Austin Barnes for a reported $1.1 million on Monday, avoiding salary arbitration, and non-tendered right-handed reliever Yimi García.

Barnes, who turns 30 later this month, is likely to back up Will Smith in 2020. Barnes struggled in 2019 with a .203 average and .633 OPS, losing the starting job to Smith, and spent most of the last two months of the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Barnes was not on the postseason roster, as veteran Russell Martin backed up Smith.

García, 29, was 1-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 2019 and was left off the postseason roster, despite spending the entire regular season on the active Major League roster. He had very unusual numbers, with a sparkling 0.866 WHIP and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, but 15 home runs allowed in 62 1/3 innings.

García has been with the Dodgers since 2014, missing the '17 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

After reaching a deal with pitcher Scott Alexander Sunday night for a reported $875,000, the Dodgers tendered contracts on Monday to nine unsigned players eligible for arbitration: Pedro Báez, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernández, Julio Urías, Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Ross Stripling and Max Muncy.