BY DAN GLICKMAN
Tres Barrera, a catcher for parts of three seasons for the Rochester Red Wings, is hanging it up.
The 31-year-old from Texas announced his retirement on Monday, a day after he caught the first pitch from his three-year-old son, Kruz, as part of the Red Wings’ Father’s Day festivities. Barrera had often been seen with his son during the 2026 season – the boy even took part in Media Day photography.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.
“I always told myself I wanted to walk away from this game as a player on my own terms,” Barrera wrote on social media, “and that time is now.”
I always told myself I wanted to walk away from this game as a player on my own terms, and that time is now.I’m forever grateful for my teammates, the memories, and the relationships built. Thank you, baseball, for giving me more than I ever could have imagined. Stay tuned 👀 pic.twitter.com/Qld6sdZo7H
— Tres Barrera (@TresBarrera13) June 22, 2026
Barrera was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2016 by the Washington Nationals and worked his way up to the big leagues, having a cup of coffee of two games during the club’s 2019 World Series championship year. He first came to Rochester in 2021 – the first year of the Nationals’ affiliation – playing 54 games for the Wings in a season split between the majors and AAA. He’d return for 55 games in 2022 before leaving the Nationals organization, only to come back this season after stints in the Cardinals and Rays systems.
Although Barrera spent most of the 2026 season shuffling between the Red Wings lineup and the minor league development list (a roster designation that allows teams to temporarily remove players from the active roster despite not being hurt), he still played 16 games during the Red Wings’ ultimately-unsuccessful run at the International League first-half title, filling in during injuries to players like Riley Adams and Harry Ford and hitting a home run during a win in a game against Worcester that helped the Wings keep pace in the standings.
In all, Barrera played 125 games for the Red Wings, hitting .232 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI across three seasons while finishing with a .990 fielding percentage. He reached the majors in parts of four seasons, three of them with Washington, ultimately appearing in 57 games.
The Red Wings begin their second-half schedule on Tuesday in Charlotte against the Knights (AAA White Sox) at 7:04 p.m.
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