Red Sox sign Barnes to 2-year extension

The Boston Red Sox shored up the back end of their bullpen long term Sunday.

Closer Matt Barnes signed a two-year extension, the Red Sox announced. The agreement runs through the 2023 season and includes a team option in 2024.

The deal guarantees the 31-year-old $18.75 million, a source told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Barnes will reportedly receive a $1.75-million signing bonus with a $7.25-million salary in 2022 and $7.5 million the following year. The club option is apparently worth $8 million, which can increase to as much as $10 million based on games finished throughout the contract.

"He's been amazing for us, not only this year but throughout his career. ... Very proud of him," manager Alex Cora said, according to Speier. "The fact that he and the organization were able to get this done in the middle of the season says a lot about where we're at."

Barnes, who was on a one-year, $4.5-million contract, was reportedly candid about his desire to stay with the club that drafted him in 2011. He apparently almost reached a multi-year deal with Boston in 2020 prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.

The right-hander is in the midst of a career season. His 2.68 ERA is currently the lowest of his eight-year career, and he's recorded 19 saves over 37 innings of work. Barnes also owns a career-high 44.6% strikeout rate and earned his first All-Star Game nod.