Matt Barnes Grateful For ‘Dream Come True’ Contract With Red Sox

Matt Barnes wanted to stay with the Red Sox, and the feeling clearly was mutual.

The All-Star closer signed a two-year contract extension with Boston on Sunday. The deal includes a club option for the 2024 campaign.

While speaking with reporters before Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Barnes, who was set to become a free agent next offseason, talked about his desire to remain with the team that drafted him 19th overall in 2011.

“This is a first-class organization that treats us like family and provides a winning opportunity every year,” he said, via The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “… This is a dream come true for me. … I don’t know if there are words for how fortunate I am. … Everything they do from top to bottom is how you expect it and how it should be.”

Barnes added: “I just wanted a fair contract for what I was doing. … This is just a place I wanted to stay. … There really wasn’t a place I wanted to play that wasn’t Boston. … The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom expressed a priority for keeping a player who has proven a great fit for life in a Red Sox uniform.

“It’s a great day for the Red Sox,” Bloom said, via Speier. ” … Matt has established himself as one of the better relievers in baseball. … Beyond that, he’s exactly the type of person you want representing the organization.”

Barnes, 31, is in the midst of his best season as a big leaguer.

Entering play Sunday, the UConn product was 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 19 saves in 37 appearances. He recently was named to the American League All-Star roster for the first time in his career.