The have reached an agreement with the to acquire Willson Contreras Jersey veteran catcher , the teams announced Wednesday. In return, the Reds will add infield prospect to their farm system.The Tigers will exercise the club option in Barnhart's contract that dictates that he'll receive $7.5 million next season. In Barnhart, they're getting an above-average defensive backstop who boasts some on-base chops against right-handed pitchers. Over the last three seasons, he's hit .246/.331/.399 Ron Santo Jersey when he's had the platoon advantage, as opposed to .235/.318/.375 overall.The key for the Tigers is Barnhart's defense. The two-time Gold Glove winner represents a noticeable upgrade over Detroit's incumbent options behind the plate. Barnhart is an above- Mark Grace Jersey average framer who is regarded as having a good feel for managing a pitching staff. That ought to make him an a set for the Tigers, who have a number of young arms in their rotation, including former No. 1 pick , , Carlos Zambrano Jersey and . If nothing else, it would make sense for manager AJ Hinch to platoon Barnhart with , a righty who hit surprisingly well (104 OPS+) in 2021.The Tigers are expected to remain aggre sive on the free-agent and trade markets this winter. Their projected Opening Day payroll, even with Barnhart in tow, is now around $90 Jose Quintana Jersey million, according to Cot's Contracts. (Barnhart is, impre sively, tied as their second-highest paid player.) Detroit could be a fit for any number of the , including the big-name shortstops and outfielder . In Quintana, the Reds add Kyle Schwarber Jersey a former second-round pick who hasn't taken well to pro ball. In two minor-league seasons, he's hit .190/.299/.308 with 11 home runs and a 26 percent strikeout rate. At this point, it's probably fair to categorize Cincinnati's main motivation for this trade as wanting to shed salary.