Less than two years ago, Matt Barnes was the All-Star closer of the Boston Red Sox and was fresh off signing an $18.75 million extension with the team.

Now, a year before that deal expires, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom has apparently seen enough of the player he handed out his first significant contract extension to.

The team designated Barnes for assignment Tuesday night, ending his more than decade-long run with the organization that drafted him in the first round out of UConn in 2011. The move made room for new signee Adam Duvall and means the Red Sox will pay Barnes $7.5 million this season to not pitch for them.

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 15: Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom looks on during a press conference addressing the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• The Red Sox and Bloom will undeniably catch heat from some fans and media members for handing Barnes a contract he never lived up to. Almost immediately after signing the deal – and perhaps not so coincidentally, after Major League Baseball began cracking down on the use of Spider Tack – Barnes crashed and burned.

  The Red Sox would likely suggest the decision to cut Barnes represents a willingness to admit a mistake and move forward. Good organizations make those types of decisions, and few would argue the decision to sign Barnes wasn’t a mistake.

  But it is hard to feel that designating Barnes for assignment is simply a baseball decision. The factors behind his release seem to run deeper than that.

  Chaim Bloom is heading into 2023 without the opposition of players who disagreed with his approach to the 2022 season. He has purged the Red Sox of almost everyone who seemed to oppose him last year, and has parted ways with nearly every player that was on the Major League roster when he became head of baseball operations in Boston just three short seasons ago.

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 24: Matt Barnes #32 of the Boston Red Sox looks on after pitching against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 24, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• It is no secret that Bloom faced backlash from his clubhouse last season. The personnel decisions made by the Red Sox front office were deeply unpopular, from lowballing de-facto captain Xander Bogaerts in spring training to trading the popular Christian Vazquez at the trading deadline. Players were also upset by the decision to designate catcher Kevin Plawecki for assignment as the lost season drew to its close.

  Bogaerts pleaded with the team to improve the team at the deadline, then publicly questioned the decision to trade Vazquez. Vazquez, for his part, said he did not know if Bloom believed in the team, before he was shipped to the Houston Astros.

  Bloom, who was not on the road with the team when the unpopular deadline moves went down, was forced to scramble and fly to Houston for face-to-face meetings with players. This came after a post-deadline press conference where Bloom told reporters members of his staff were “heading out for adult beverages,” just hours after ridding the roster of popular players. “They deserve it,” Bloom said of his front office.

  I can’t imagine the veteran players on the Red Sox shared Chaim’s celebratory mood.

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 15: From left, Red Sox Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, CEO Sam Kennedy, and Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom attend a press conference addressing the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• Barnes was a longstanding member of the organization and a central figure in the locker room. He also served as the team’s Players Union representative through the 2020 COVID season. He came up through the minor league system with Bogaerts and Vazquez and was undeniably a member of the team’s core. 

  Despite his significant struggles, not many people saw this decision coming. Barnes posted a 1.59 ERA in the final two months of 2022 after returning from a lengthy stint on the injured list. While it would be hard to find many fans who believed in Barnes’ ability to return to early-2021 form, it would be even harder to find folks who believe Barnes is less worthy of a spot on the 40-man roster than the likes of Ryan Braiser, Kaleb Ort, or Wyatt Mills. Surely a pitcher with a track record of big league success like Barnes has more to offer than that group. Eckersley, Rivera, and 2013 Koji Uehara they are not.

  It’s fair to wonder if the decision to part ways with Barnes goes beyond the baseball diamond, especially given how Bloom has allowed other key voices to leave town.

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  BOSTON, MA – JUNE 29: Matt Barnes #32 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on June 29, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

• Bogaerts is gone, off to San Diego for nearly $200 million more than the Red Sox are believed to have offered him last spring. Nate Eovaldi and J.D. Martinez departed this offseason as well. Just about every player on this roster was now brought in by Bloom. It’s hard not to think that’s by design.

  Less than five years later, only three players remain from the winningest team in franchise history, the 2018 Red Sox: Rafael Devers, Chris Sale, and Ryan Braiser.

  This is Chaim Bloom’s roster now, for better or for worse. The release of Matt Barnes only makes that more clear.

• Click here for complete Boston Red Sox coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

  Matt McCarthy is an on-air host at 98.5 The Sports Hub and regular contributor at 985TheSportsHub.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985 and read all of his content here.

NEXT: Red Sox Make Another Surprising Call On Veteran Pitcher

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