Hot Stove Lunch: Is Matt Barnes the Red Sox choice to close games?

Spring training kicks off next week and the Red Sox have yet to sign -- or, for that matter, identify -- a closer for 2019.

The longer this goes on, the more signs point to Matt Barnes being the choice.

Barnes and Ryan Brasier have been named as possibilities throughout the winter by Dave Dombrowski, who repeatedly has said he doesn't expect a "big expenditure'' for the closer's spot.

Barnes has far more major league experience than Brasier, who had thrown all of nine innings in the big leagues before being called up mid-season by the Sox. And while Brasier did everything the Sox could have asked in a half-season and in October, entrusting him with the ninth would seem to be a stretch at this point.

Barnes, on the other hand, has four (nearly) full seasons of experience with Boston and last year was his best yet, with 61.2 innings and a 3.65 ERA. His 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings were the best of his career and he also enjoyed a career-best 3.20 ERA+.

The one danger sign is his control. Barnes walked 4.5 hitters per nine innings, more than you'd like for someone entrusted with a ninth-inning lead.

But he also was tough to hit (.202 batting average against) and if he can improve his strike-throwing ability even just a little bit, he could thrive in the closer's spot.

"I haven't been told my role's changed at all,'' Barnes told the Globe's Nick Cafardo, "so I'm just trying to come in and get some work done.''

Seems logical. And lacking any other obvious choices, it would seem -- for now -- that Barnes will be the guy.

Elsewhere...

AL EAST

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AL CENTRAL

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AL WEST 

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NATIONAL LEAGUE 

Are the Phillies emerging as the frontrunners for J.T. Realmuto?