Boston manager Alex Cora was noncommittal on naming a closer, a role Barnes held for the final month of 2020, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Barnes has performed a variety of roles over his seven-year career in Boston. He's thrown mostly in high-leverage spots the last four seasons and is expected to be used in the final third of games. Others in the mix at closer are Adam Ottavino, who has experience pitching the ninth inning, and Hirokazu Sawamura (visa issues), who closed in Japan.