Blue Jays deciding whether to tender Barney

TORONTO — The Blue Jays have until Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine whether utility infielder Darwin Barney will remain in the fold or if he’ll be non-tendered and released from his contract.

Teams have until that time to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. Toronto has four players who fall into that category, but Barney appears to be the only one whose status remains in question.

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Right-hander Marcus Stroman is a lock to stick around, while outfielder Ezequiel Carrera and lefty reliever Aaron Loup are expected to do the same. The only real question is what will happen to Barney, who is an ideal backup infielder, but one that comes with a salary which could be prohibitive.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Barney is projected to earn $1.6 million next season, but that number seems a little low. Barney made $1.05 million in 2016 after he signed with the club as a free agent, but he was eligible for arbitration in ’15 and earned $2.525 million.

Barney’s arbitration case could factor in his previous 2015 salary, and if he received a raise on that number, his contract could soar to approximately $3 million. That likely would be too expensive for a backup middle infielder, but the Blue Jays also could look to strike a deal that would avoid the process altogether.

Toronto took a similar …

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