Barrett has been a full time catcher for a longtime now, and his defense doesn't seem to have improved at all. Not that I'm hung up on his defense or anything, but he's not going to get better. It's not speculation. What is ludicrous is to deny the trends that baseball has established for years. Position players peak at 26, their best years are usually 25-29. They decline in their 30's. Catchers sometimes peak a little later, but usually decline a little earlier. The pounding they take wears on them over time, and Barrett has been racking up the games/innings behind the plate for several years now.