Barrera appreciates opportunity to return to majors

As he stood inside the clubhouse at Nationals Park last week, seeing a few unfamiliar but mostly familiar faces, Tres Barrera felt like he was home.

“This is what you work for,” the 27-year-old catcher said. “This is where you want to be.”

Barrera hadn’t been in D.C. yet this season, not necessarily through any fault of his own but rather because of the organization’s increased catching depth acquired over the last calendar year. After spending a large chunk of the summer of 2021 in the big leagues, he was bumped down to Triple-A Rochester following the acquisitions and promotions of Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams, leaving him the third wheel on a roster that only had room for two catchers.

Ruiz is the unquestioned No. 1 guy behind the plate, now and presumably for many years to come. Adams quickly assumed the No. 2 role after his acquisition from the Blue Jays last July. That left Barrera on the outside looking in, even though his performance at the big league level suggested he was worthy of staying.

In 30 games with the Nats last season, 27 of them starts, Barrera hit a solid .264 with an impressive .374 on-base percentage, two homers, 10 RBIs and a .758 OPS. He caught only one of 20 basestealers, but still managed to produce 0.5 WAR (per Baseball-Reference’s formula).

He also showed a real knack for delivering clutch hits. In 28 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, he hit .300 with a .500 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage.

Then he picked up right where he left off upon his return, coming through with a two-run single in his first major league at-bat of 2022 last weekend.

“As a baseball player, those are the positions you want to be in,” Barrera said. “You think of those moments when you’re in the cage and you try to stay within yourself, not try to get too big, use the big part of the field. The pressure’s on the pitcher more than me at that point. He’s going to make a pitch. I’ve been on the other end, being a catcher trying to call a pitch in those situations. I just try to stay relaxed and put a good at-bat together.”

None of that guaranteed Barrera a spot on the big league roster to begin this season, though. He spent the last three months with Rochester, serving as the No. 1 catcher until getting the call last week when the slumping Adams was sent down.

Now, though, comes a new challenge: After starting most days at Triple-A, Barrera must adjust to life as a backup catcher in the majors, with only one or two starts per week likely coming his way.

“I come in here every day preparing like I’m going to play every day,” he said. “Because it could be mid-game. It could be starting that game. Studying hitters. Getting my work in each and every day. Just keep preparing, and when I get my chance to be in there, I want to be well prepared to do whatever I can to help the team win.”

Barrera’s time in Rochester allowed him to develop a rapport with many of the organization’s young pitchers, most notably top prospects Cade Cavalli and Cole Henry. He came away wholly impressed with both right-handers.

“Oh, man. Electric. Electric stuff,” he gushed. “They’re going to have really good careers. I’m excited to see how they progress and how they mature. They’re getting better every day down there. That’s one thing about those two: They work really hard. Each and every day, they’re always trying to do something to get better. It’s only a matter of time before they’re up here doing their thing.”

Cavalli, who tossed seven scoreless innings Wednesday against Lehigh Valley, and Henry, who has a 1.71 ERA in nine combined starts between Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg, surely are antsy to get the call themselves to join the Nationals rotation. The organization has been deliberate in making sure both are truly ready for the assignment.

And Barrera, given his own experience, understands why.

“It’s a process, and that’s something I was trying to talk to them about,” he said. “Everybody wants to be so quick to get there. The hardest part is not getting here. It’s staying here, as I would know. I told them: ‘When you get there, you guys are not going to come back. That’s what the front office wants. And that’s what we all want, for you to get there, stick and have long careers. We don’t want you to be bouncing back and forth. When you’re ready, you’ll be there for the long haul.’ ”