Indians

Total news: 770
Last news: December 31, 1969 19:00:00

Total news: 185
Last news: December 31, 1969 19:00:00

Total news: 15
Last news: December 31, 1969 19:00:00

Total news: 15
Last news: December 31, 1969 19:00:00

Total news: 10
Last news: December 31, 1969 19:00:00

Lee to start season on disabled list. Anthony Castrovince, indians.com

The biggest story of the spring thus far. The Indians had gone into the season with some depth, and they'll have it tested right away. The conventional wisdom says that Fausto Carmona will enter Lee's spot in the rotation, though both Adam Miller and Brian Slocum remain possibilities.

The details of the injury and the timetable for his return:

This injury beats home the adage that you can't have enough pitching, and that also teams have to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. If Paul Byrd had been traded, the Indians would have been going into the season with CC Sabathia, Jake Westbrook, and three pitchers with less than a season of MLB service time between them.

Indians infield: Oh, to be young and in glove. Paul Hoynes, PD

Hoynes takes a look at how the Indians' young infield (if you consider Ryan Garko the eventual first baseman) came together:

The key here isn't that the Indians weren't looking to get younger, they were looking to get better. That the starting infield could all be 26 or younger was a very happy accident. The Indians control all four players through at least 2011.

The most pleasant news of Spring Training has to be Jhonny Peralta's improved range. He's also hitting well, but I'm loathe to declare his swing fixed until the regular season. Defense, though, is something that shows just as well in March as it does in April, and Peralta's looked vastly better. He'll have to stay consistent, but if he can, the Indians should be better defensively at three of the four infield positions. And that's a big improvement to a team that had one of baseball's worst defenses in 2006. - [Read more]

Cliff Lee was put on the disabled list, and he'll miss four to six weeks with a strained abdominal muscle. Assuming nothing else heppens, he'll return sometime in mid-April. Taking the rotation spot will be Fausto Carmona. I just hope... - [Read more]

According to ESPN, Lee will start the season on the DL now.  Apparently that throwing session didn't go so great.  There is no real word on how long it'll be until he is ready for the bigs again.  So that moves Carmona up to the Majors.  

As much as I can see giving the job to Carmona straight up, I wish that Miller and some other prospects would be given a chance to compete. Update [2007-3-11 12:16:46 by mjmarble]: The PD is now reporting it too, with Soloff calling it due to "the volume of spring training" whatever that means. It also says he'll be back mid to late April. - [Read more]

Cleveland at New York, 1:05 PM

Today's pitching matchup is Fausto Carmona vs Chien-Ming Wang

Cliff Lee's scheduled bullpen session today was canceled (per WTAM), as Cliff is still feeling pain in his side. This probably means he won't be ready to open the season. I'll have more on this in the Sunday Roundup. - [Read more]

Go West young man, [...] - [Read more]

Curt Schilling has started a blog, and he has some pretty good posts so far, including a Q/A with readers.... - [Read more]

Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 7:05 PM (STO, WTAM)

Paul Byrd faces off against Shawn Chacon in the Tribe's 2007 STO debut. - [Read more]

Last year it was C.C. Sabathia who went on the DL early, and this season it looks like it will be Cliff Lee that will spend a part of April on the disabled list. All I can say is I... - [Read more]

Injury Updates Cliff Lee was unable to throw his planned bullpen session as he rehabs from an oblique strain. He’ll rest for two days and try again. If he’s a no-go, he’ll be shut down for 10 days and miss the start of the season. Fausto Carmona–it’s your time to shine. Joe Inglett is [...] - [Read more]

Thetis: What if courage and imagination became everyday mortal qualities? What will become of us?

Zeus: We would no longer be needed. But, for the moment, there is sufficient cowardice, sloth and mendacity down there on Earth to last forever.

It's not exactly Homeric material, but we have to overhype something based in reality, right?

Joe Inglett lost some ground in the battle because of not one, but two muscle strains:

Also fading fast is Hector Luna, though he's been fading entirely on his own:

The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if Luna is in another organization by the time the team breaks camp.

Mike Rouse, who was claimed on waivers late last season, is actually in the running to make the team. Rouse has been a shortstop his entire professional career, which is something none of the other combatants can say. And while his AAA OPS has gone down each of the past three seasons, he might just be the best of what's available.

Luis Rivas, whose career cratered after a promising start, also has a good shot of making the team. He was a shortstop in the Twins' organization before moving to second to make room for Cristian Guzman. His offense is not going to be an asset, but he again doesn't have too much competition.

Of course, the Indians are still going to look outside the organization for help, and the end of March means plenty of waiver and trade opportunities as teams finalize their rosters. The Indians do have a spare roster spot (thanks to Keith Foulke's retirement), and the three infielders on the roster all have options remaining.

And here's the obvious question - does this really matter? It could if Barfield or Peralta go down with a serious injury, in which case we could be seeing one of these guys on an everyday basis. And I don't really want to think about that. - [Read more]

Vital Statistics

Full Name: Joshua LaRoy Barfield
Born: 12-17-1982 (Barquisimento, Venezuela)
Height: 6'0" Weight: 190 lbs
High School: Klein High School (Texas)
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Position: 2B

Baseball Statistics

MLB.com
Hardball Times
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball-Reference
Fangraphs
Baseball Cube (minors)

Service Time/Options

Service Time: 1.00 Years
Option Years Remaining: Two

Contract Status:

2007. ~$350K
      
2008. Renewable
      
2009. Arbitration
      
2010. Arbitration
      
2011. Arbitration
      
2012. Free Agent

Josh is not the first of his family to play in the major leagues; his father Jesse enjoyed a lengthy career, playing for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Jesse was known for his strong arm and home run power.

Josh was drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres in the 4th round of the 2001 draft, an odd selection given the organization's predilection for college talent. Barfield's debut later that summer was very successful; he hit .310/.350/.437 in the Pioneer League while moving between short and second. While there was some long-term question about whether he'd stay in the infield, his bat was not questioned. Baseball America ranked him the 3rd-best prospect in the Pioneer League.

His full-season debut was remarkably similar to what he did in Idaho Falls; he again hit above .300, and showed decent power for his age. His strikeout to walk ratio was roughly 5 to 1, a concern which followed him the rest of his minor-league career. In 2003 he went to the hitter-friendly California League, where he again logged 500 at-bats, hit a robust .337/.389/.530, and improved his walk ratio a bit. At this point, he was the organization's best prospect, though the praise was tempered a bit given the low status of the Padres' system. There will still concerns about him being able to handle the position, and obviously a move to the outfield would make him a less desirable payer. Baseball America thought him capable of being a major-league #3 hitter. His instincts, both hitting and baserunning, garnered praise as well, and Jim Callis thought he'd be ready by mid-2005.

That praise lessened after Barfield struggled at the plate in 2004. Part of that may have been explained by a injured hamstring early in the spring, but it also may have been due to facing AA pitchers. BA noticed that his long and pull-happy swing left him open to being neutralized with unexpected fastballs and tailing breaking pitches. But all was not lost; his defense improved to the point that a position change was no longer talked about. All he needed to do was to get his hitting back on track.

He did just that in 2005, hitting .310/.370/.450 in the PCL, a hitter's league, but still a good line for a 22-year-old. The gap between strikeouts and walks closed further, and the Padres, convinced that he was ready, dealt incumbent second baseman Mark Loretta to the Boston Red Sox that winter. Barfield made his major-league debut on Opening Day, and hit a very acceptable .280/.318/.423. Like most of his teammates, he was a much better hitter on the road, hitting .331/.378/.587 away from Petco Park.

It's not very often that a team will deal a player after a positive rookie season, but the Padres did just that, trading him to the Indians for 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and RHP Andrew Brown. Kouzmanoff was coming off a season where he destroyed AA and AAA  pitching, and the Padres had a huge organizational hole at third base. The Padres later filled the hole left by Barfield by signing free agent Marcus Giles.  

Transactions

6-01: Drafted by the San Diego Padres (4th Round)
6-15-01: Signed with San Diego; Assigned to Idaho Falls (R-)
Started 2002 in Fort Wayne (A-)
8-02: Promoted to Lake Elsinore (A+)
Started 2004 in Mobile (AA)
Started 2005 in Portland (AAA)
Started 2006 in San Diego (MLB Debut)
11-8-06: Traded to the Cleveland Indians for 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and RHP Andrew Brown

Strengths

His all-around athleticism. Essentially he's a second baseman with the skillset of a corner outfielder; he has a very good arm, and nice instincts. He has good power for his position, and is an excellent baserunner. He'll help provide some speed to an otherwise lethargic lineup.

Weaknesses

His long pull-happy swing can be exploited, and he hit just .266/.299/.376 against right-handed pitching. He had only 21 unintentional walks in 2006, evidence of an aggressive hitting style. Opposing teams wil notice this, so he'll need to show some patience in order to get pitches to hit.

2007 Outlook

Barfield is going to get as much playing time as he can handle. He'll be hitting towards the bottom of the order; Eric Wedge has talked about hitting him 9th in order to get the lineup's two stolen base threats hitting back-to-back. He could serve as the #2 hitter against left-handers. - [Read more]

If Ryan won't plug it, I'll do it for him...

The Hardball Times has just announced their first ever Season Preview book.  From the site:

You can download the book as a PDF for $9, or order a printed copy for $16.

And even cooler:  

Contributing to the Indians chapter?  Ryan Richards of Let's Go Tribe.

I'm ordering mine right now - congrats, Ryan! - [Read more]

Just some updates from Florida: Hector Luna hasn’t pleased Tribe officials. It seems likely that he’s not going to win the final bench spot. It’s a shame considering he’s a pretty potent bat off the bench and can play almost any position other than pitcher and catcher.  If Luna fails to make the team, [...] - [Read more]

...I'd buy a roster spot. Hell, I'd buy the whole damn team!... - [Read more]

Jake Westbrook is set to open the Spring Training schedule against the Astros. The Tribe plays at 1PM (EST). Rotation Set Eric Wedge has “penciled” in the rotation as follows: Sabathia, Westbrook, Lee, Sowers, and Byrd. Let’s see how long that lasts… Rotation Unset? That didn’t last long.  Just hours after Wedge’s projected started rotation went to print, [...] - [Read more]

Tomorrow is the Tribe's spring opener, so it is time to start paying attention to baseball once again! I've been reading and listening to things in passing all winter, and the other morning Buster Olney predicted on ESPN radio that... - [Read more]

In one sense, everyone is an impending free agent.  This discussion is largely media created, mostly from the Cleveland press. Much has been made of C.C. Sabathia and Travis Hafner’s free agency at the end of 2008. Two years is a very long time in the baseball world. A lot can change–from the team’s [...] - [Read more]

He lives. Where to begin… RHP Keith Foulke retires. Jason Davis and Matt Miller, health assumed, now join a bullpen including closer Joe Borowski, Rafael Betancourt, Roberto Hernandez, Fernando Cabrera, and Aaron Fultz. Davis seems set to be the longman, though the Indians probably use Cabrera in the low-leverage situations to open the season. Edward Mujica, [...] - [Read more]

I now have the password to login to my own site. Amazing how that works. Updates coming today. - [Read more]

Keith Foulke's days with the Indians may end before it begins: According to a report on WTAM 1100 this morning, newly signed reliever, Keith Foulke, has retired before ever throwing a pitch in an Indians uniform. Foulke battled arm and... - [Read more]