August 16, 2011 at 12:15 AM
Report: Red Sox sign first-round pick Matt Barnes
According to ESPN's Keith Law, the Red Sox signed UConn righthander Matt Barnes for $1.5 million.
Barnes, the reigning Big East Pitcher of the Year, was 11-5 with a 1.93 ERA in 17 starts for the Huskies in 2011. He struck out 117 batters in 121.0 innings, and held opponents to a .187 batting average.
The 6-foot-4 flamethrower from Bethel, Conn. last pitched in the Huskies' June 11 NCAA Super Regional loss to South Carolina, when Barnes gave up 5 earned runs on 8 hits in 4.1 innings, though he struck out the side in the first inning.
In 2010, Barnes went 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 15 appearances. He struck out 75 in 82.2 innings for the Huskies, but it was the summer of 2010 where he established himself as a potential ace.
After striking out 20 with a 1.42 ERA in 20.2 innings of work for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, he left to play for the USA Collegiate Team. Barnes was 3-0 in four appearances for the national team, and in the World University Baseball Championship, was one of four pitchers who finished the tournament without allowing an earned run. At the end of the summer, Baseball America named him the third-best Cape League prospect behind current Red Sox minor-league pitcher Anthony Ranaudo and UConn teammate George Springer.
As a freshman in 2009, Barnes posted a 5.43 ERA in 13 appearances. On the mound, Barnes throws a mid-90s fastball that reaches 97 MPH, as well as a high-70s curve, a slider in the low-to-mid 80s, and a mid-80s changeup.