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From the White House – New Federal Approach to Hiring
Finger injury spoils his chance to prove his worth; rejuvenated Cabrera seems to be blocking his way
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Aug 17, 2008
Josh Barfield inadvertently raised his stature within the Indians' organization by getting hurt in June.
How's that? Instantly, he joined an elite group on the disabled list that included Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and Jake Westbrook.
Ever since, when reporters ask manager Eric Wedge or head trainer Lonnie Soloff about the progress of the injured players, Barfield's status becomes part of the answer, putting him right there with three stalwarts of the team.
But soon, Barfield will no longer have equal standing with his DL mates. Already, he is on a rehabilitation assignment, and it won't be long before he is fully prepared to play. In other words, the clock is almost ready to strike midnight, and Barfield's standing on the club will be reduced to that of second baseman without portfolio.
Part of this probably is his fault. He began the 2007 season as the Tribe's regular second baseman after being acquired from San Diego for Kevin Kouzmanoff. Barfield's defense helped the club, his hitting was a liability.
Asdrubal Cabrera was summoned from Triple-A in August and took away his job. Barfield has been scuffling ever since. He came to spring training in February with no chance to make the roster. Despite the brevity of his tenure, Cabrera was firmly entrenched at second.
He was a key in the club's stretch drive to win the 2007 Central Division title. Not only did he play spectacular defense, he often produced important hits. It was obvious to everyone that Cabrera was a prodigy about to blossom into an All-Star.
Barfield's position went from promising second baseman to left out. There was no place to stash him except Buffalo. Then the unexpected happened; Cabrera started the season and couldn't buy a hit. How could a player so gifted, a player who became a sensation the moment he put on an Indians uniform, become helpless in the face of mediocre fastballs down the middle and sliders 6 inches off the plate.
Then again, Cabrera is a kid. Even he had to endure a learning process once he was exposed to the big leagues. Suddenly, he found himself back in the minors. Barfield was redeemed. At least he had a chance for redemption. He was summoned from Buffalo to play second, which he did for about a minute. Then he hurt his finger, an injury that required surgery.
Barfield's sore finger did not shorten Cabrera's stay in the minors. But he is back and starting to play the way he did late last season. So where does that leave Barfield?
Has he become an afterthought to Wedge and General Manager Mark Shapiro? Do they have a plan that will enable him to remain a viable member of the team? He plays second base and only second base. At this point, there is no pressing need to teach him another position.
Tribe deep thinkers don't even know if Barfield can play. How could they? Since coming to Cleveland, he hasn't produced at the plate, but he showed great promise in his rookie season with the Padres. He became a regular, batted .280 and hit 13 home runs in a home ballpark the size of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. That's why Shapiro traded for him.
But none of that seems to matter now. Too much has transpired between the time of the trade and his injury, first and foremost the acquisition of Cabrera from Seattle. Barfield has become extra baggage.
He has virtually no trade value, because nobody has seen him play in the big leagues for a year. But was his rookie season for the Padres a fluke? Maybe not. Many players take a step backward after they have had early success.
And the Indians dealt away a valuable commodity to get Barfield. It was obvious to everyone that Kouzmanoff could hit and hit with power. His defense at third was a question mark, and he has two balky discs in his back that might cause problems at any time.
The trade made sense to both teams at the time. Barfield looked like the second baseman of the future to Shapiro, a player who might hold onto his position for several seasons. San Diego's need for a third baseman was dire. So far, the Padres have gotten much the better of the deal.
Nobody has yet figured out a way to turn back the clock and unravel history. So the best the Indians can do is try to salvage someone who might yet develop into a solid player on both sides of the ball.
Here is one solution that should not happen, but it probably is favored by the fans. Let Barfield play second, switch Cabrera to short, his natural position, and convert Jhonny Peralta from shortstop to third baseman.
It is assumed that if an infielder can play short, he can play third. Not true. First, Peralta is far from a polished shortstop. He has a strong arm and no range. But third basemen don't need range, they live on their reactions. Peralta is lacking in that area, as well. When Peralta was in the minors, I was told by Tribe officials that he had been tried at third and was woefully inadequate.
How about this? Give second base to Barfield, move Cabrera to short and trade Peralta. Fat chance. Shapiro loves Peralta, and his recent surge at the plate only confirms his opinion. Moreover, it would take a leap of faith to give Barfield second base without knowing for sure that he can handle the assignment.
So what's the solution? There probably is none. Eventually, the Barfield acquisition probably will go down as a failed transaction. Eventually he will run out of options and be lost on waivers or be traded for a pre-owned bat rack or a Fourth of July costume for Slider.
Fans and talk show hosts will then have the opportunity to harangue Shapiro for making a lousy deal. Maybe he did, or maybe he put himself in position to be the fall guy by making a good trade for Cabrera.
If Cabrera wasn't here, there would be no Barfield dilemma.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
Josh Barfield inadvertently raised his stature within the Indians' organization by getting hurt in June.
Get the full article here.
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