Josh Barfield hit an unexpected speed bump in his major league career and now he is desperately trying to veer back down the road to success.
Added to the Indians' roster prior to 2007 in a trade that sent Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andrew Brown to the Padres, Barfield's career was expected to blossom in Cleveland. He was coming off a solid rookie season (.280, 13 HR, 58 RBI and 20 SB). He was a prized prospect that totaled 128 RBI in Class A ball back in 2003. He was moving from a pitcher's park to hitter-friendly Progressive Field. And he comes from great stock -- he is the son of former major leaguer Jesse and the brother of Jeremy, who was selected in the eighth round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft by the A's.
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Josh Barfield's inability to make consistent contact has held him back.
(US Presswire)
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Barfield entered 2007 with the hopes of a career year and a finish among the top 10 Fantasy second baseman. The outcome was as nasty as a horror flick. Barfield, who finished with three homers and a .242 average in '07, eventually lost his starting job to
Asdrubal Cabrera in August and had to open 2008 at Triple-A Buffalo.
"I'm not a Triple-A player," Barfield protested to MLB.com in March. "I don't look at myself like that. That's not even something I'm thinking about now. I'm here to make the team and contribute."
The Indians had other plans. After hitting .238 with 10 strikeouts in 42 spring at-bats, Cleveland shipped Barfield to Buffalo to work on his plate discipline. He stayed there until Monday when the team had enough of Cabrera's struggles at the plate and clicked their heels twice to give Barfield a second chance.
"He's a guy who has always stood tall; he hasn't given in to any adversity he's been through," Indians manager Eric Wedge told MLB.com. "You look at having to go to Triple-A for the first couple months, and that's not easy. He's handled it well."
Barfield hit just .255 with the Bisons, but had 16 doubles, one triple, five homers and 21 RBI in 62 games. He hit safely in nine of his last 12 games before his promotion.
A primary reason Barfield struggled in '07 was his strikeout-to-walk ratio. He whiffed 90 times and only walked 14. He showed some improvement in spring training with a 10-to-6 ratio, but struck out 48 times with 13 walks in 259 at-bats for Buffalo.
Cleveland worked with Barfield on his zone awareness in the offseason and he even spent time with Papa Barfield watching tapes from last season trying to improve his mechanics.
The next few weeks could indicate whether Barfield is ready to re-emerge as a potential Fantasy staple. The Indians said Barfield will see the majority of work at second base with Cabrera in the minors. That's if a minor finger injury doesn't land him on the 15-day DL.
The 2001 fourth-round pick has already said he doesn't intend to let baby bro bypass him in the majors, but right now, the fear of being dispatched back to Buffalo is sufficient incentive.
"Being down there was enough motivation," Barfield said. "It wasn't fun at all. It's something you deal with. The first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about when I went to sleep was getting back (to the majors)."
Call to the Bench -- We feel this player might be worthy of adding to Fantasy rosters for the long haul
Alexei Ramirez, INF, Chicago White Sox
Owned: 39 percent of leagues
Analysis: The White Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball and Ramirez has been right in the thick of Chicago's offensive outburst. He has hit safely in eight of 10 games. He has two homers and 10 RBI in that span. He has pretty much taken over the second base duties from Juan Uribe. Is this a fluke from Ramirez? If his spring numbers are any indication, then Ramirez might be here to stay. Ramirez was the talk of camp after the Cuban defector signed as a free agent in January. The 26-year-old hit .358 with two homers, 18 RBI, 11 runs, seven doubles and one triple in 22 spring games. It seems this kid is for real, and while he doesn't project to be a Chase Utley or Dan Uggla, Ramirez still might end up being a No. 1 Fantasy 2B with everyday at-bats.
You're Out! -- We feel this player might have already peaked and his value could be on the decline, so Fantasy owners might want to cut bait ASAP
Blake Dewitt, 3B, L.A. Dodgers
Owned: 34 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Dodgers summoned star prospect Andy LaRoche from Triple-A Las Vegas and that could eventually signal the end of DeWitt's run at third. L.A. started the season with DeWitt at the hot corner after Nomar Garciaparra and LaRoche both opened on the DL. The Dodgers didn't want to promote DeWitt this early in his career, but had no choice. He responded well, but with no homers or RBI in nine June games, the well has run dry. LaRoche has been a prized prospect for years and now seems to be the right time to give him a legitimate chance to work his skills at the major league level.
GIDPs -- We feel this player might not warrant as much Fantasy consideration as he is receiving and should be avoided in most instances
Maicer Izturis, INF, L.A. Angels
Owned: 31 percent of leagues
Analysis: In the last two weeks, Izturis' Fantasy ownership has jumped from seven percent to 31. The recent rise was brought on by an 12-game hitting streak that started May 31 against the Blue Jays with a four-hit outing. During the streak, the versatile infielder has eight multi-hit games, two homers and 10 RBI. Fantasy owners better enjoy the hot streak while it lasts. Izturis is seeing the majority of starts at shortstop with Erick Aybar on the DL. As soon as he is healthy, don't be surprised if Izturis shares at-bats or reverts to his utility infielder role -- a job the Angels love for the lightweight (165 pounds) Venezuelan. The 27-year-old is having a breakout campaign, but he doesn't have a lot of power and will never be mistaken for Vladimir Guerrero.
Scouting -- We feel this player is on the verge of being a Fantasy reliable option, but still needs to be monitored over the next few weeks
Ryan Garko, 1B, Cleveland
Owned: 61 percent of leagues
Analysis: Garko, another burgeoning star at 27, has provided the spark Cleveland needs with Victor Martinez in a serious power funk and Travis Hafner battling a bum shoulder. In 11 June games, Garko is hitting .405 with two homers and 15 RBI. He has struck out just five times in 42 at-bats. This coming after Garko hit under .235 the first two months of the season with just four homers and 20 RBI. Many pegged him as a breakout player in 2008 and he might finally be hitting his stride. Or, this simply could be just a hot streak. The jury is still out.
Stopgap corner -- We feel this player might be worth using for the upcoming scoring period
Manny Parra, SP, Milwaukee
Owned: 54 percent of leagues
Analysis: The left-hander is on the verge of living up to his potential. In five of his last seven starts, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs. In four of those starts it has been one or zero runs. He does his best work at home -- where he will have two starts in Fantasy Week 12 (June 16-22). Parra is 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in seven home starts in 2008. His first start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Blue Jays and his second start is for June 22 against the Orioles. Both teams rank in the bottom 10 for runs scored. It might be worth a flier to use Parra as a stopgap and eventually watch him develop into a reliable Fantasy arm.
Farm Boys -- This segment is for those long-term keeper owners looking for the next Fantasy superstar
Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Analysis: Escobar is currently biding him time at Double-A Huntsville with other young stars like Matt LaPorta and Matthew Gamel. Escobar is not as good a power hitter as those two, but is a premier shortstop prospect. He arrived late to spring training because of visa issues. After hitting .340 during the spring, he was optioned to Huntsville and hasn't slowed down. He is hitting .333 with six homers, 42 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Milwaukee is likely to stick it out with the slumping J.J. Hardy in 2008, but if he were to go on the DL, there is a chance Escobar could be recalled since Ozzie Chavez and Chris Woodward (both at Triple-A Nashville) are merely organizational filler. Long-term NL-only Fantasy owners will want to add Escobar at some point in '08 for a possible 2009 debut.
Doctor's Report -- This segment highlights a player on the verge of coming off the DL and ready to make an immediate Fantasy impact.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado
Owned: 37 percent of leagues
Analysis: The NL Rookie of the Year runner-up has been quick to recover from a quad injury that was expected to sideline him until mid-July. He has been sent out to Class A Modesto to begin his rehab assignment and there is a chance he could return within the next 1-2 weeks. The Rockies want Tulowitzki, who was hitting .152 before exiting the lineup in late April, to regain his confidence at the plate while in the minors. There is no timetable for his return, but as soon as he is 100 percent and ripping the ball, the Rockies aren't going to waste his at-bats in the minors. If you can add and stash, it's time to put Tulowitzki on your bench.
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