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10/29/07 1:00 PM ET
Mailbag: Should Barfield start?
Beat reporter Anthony Castrovince answers fans' questions
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
Josh Barfield (pictured) hit .243 over 420 at-bats, giving Asdrubal Cabrera an opportunity to earn the starting job at second base. (AP)
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The hastily erected T-shirt stand near my bank had a new sign on its exterior last Monday. Every item was officially on clearance for $5.
Just a few days earlier, that stand had stood, to me, as a representation of a town rallying around a team. It bustled with activity on a Thursday afternoon, as the Indians, a win away from the World Series, prepared to play Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Red Sox.
Fortunately, none of the shirts on display touted the Indians as AL champs, though it was reported that some Cleveland-area stores jumped the gun and offered such merchandise before the Indians' collapse.
Seeing as how the Indians don't appear to be in line to make many Hot Stove moves, I suppose we'll spend the winter assessing just how the Tribe so quickly plunged from the cusp of the Fall Classic to the cushiness of the couch in what felt like a matter of minutes. And we'll do so in this very space each Monday throughout the winter. So when you've finished up your latest appointment with your therapist and managed to pull yourself out of your ALCS misery, feel free to send a question to the mailbag.
In the meantime, I can point you to a place with dirt-cheap Indians apparel.
I like having Asdrubal Cabrera in the lineup, but I also think that Josh Barfield can return to his production he had with the Padres. Are the Indians considering moving Jhonny Peralta over to third and putting Asdrubal back at his natural position for next year? Nothing against Casey Blake, but he could go back to the outfield.
-- Jeremy M., Lincoln, Ill. This question has been brewing from the day Cabrera usurped Barfield's second-base duties. And in the wake of the loss to the Red Sox, it's been the most frequent question dropped in the mailbag. The switch you're suggesting, Jeremy, would certainly be easier to pull off than the Seinfeldian "Roommate Switch," but I counter with another question. What has Barfield done at the plate to force this debate? He batted just .243 with three homers and 50 RBIs in 420 at-bats, a year after batting .280 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs in 539 at-bats in his rookie season with the Padres. He showed no plate discipline, drawing just 14 walks while striking out 90 times, and his on-base percentage was an abysmal .270. Should the Indians, then, give up on Barfield? Absolutely not. The Cabrera-to-short/Peralta-to-third plan might have merit further down the road. But to me, the obvious answer in the more immediate sense is to give Barfield, who has two Minor League option years remaining, the grooming time he so clearly needs at Triple-A Buffalo, while leaving the infield composition the same as it was at the end of '07. Cabrera, a natural shortstop, showed he can also master second base, the Indians were happy with Peralta's overall play and Blake, fielding foible in Game 7 of the ALCS aside, did nothing to lose his job and endure yet another position switch. Now that the Indians' magic season has come to an end, what will happen to Kenny Lofton? I want to see him back, but do you think the Indians will try to sign him?
-- Evan S., Solon, Ohio No, I don't. Lofton was a fine fill-in and a fan favorite in the stretch run, but he's not who the Indians are looking for over the long haul. What the Indians need is a left fielder with some pop and run-production capabilities. Lofton doesn't fit that bill. He is the prototypical center fielder/leadoff man, and the Tribe already has one of those.
Expect Lofton to be looking for another job with yet another team this winter. I guess those DHL commercials will have added life.
So, who takes over for Lofton? Well, David Dellucci and Jason Michaels could both be on hand to platoon again. Or youngsters Ben Francisco and mailbag favorite Shin-Soo "Big League" Choo (who will be a little behind in Spring Training after Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in September) could be given a chance.
Personally, I think the Indians should make use of their pitching depth (read: Cliff Lee) and investigate the possibility of trading for a more accomplished, more reliable offensive option for left field. But that's a topic we'll delve into in future mailbags, I'm sure.
If the Indians are unable to re-sign C.C. Sabathia this offseason, will he be traded? I think that is the best choice if they can't re-sign him.
-- Miguel, Mexico That's doubtful, Miguel. When Mark Shapiro was asked about that possibility last week, he said, "My inclination is to put the best team possible on the field. It's hard for me to see a team that has its best chance to win without C.C. on it." The Indians usually wait until Spring Training to talk to their players about contract extensions, but they're going to jump the gun with Sabathia. Shapiro said he believes a deal can be worked out, and Sabathia has said he hopes he can stay. If it's going to happen, C.C. would have to be willing to sign a contract that doesn't quite match his monetary value in the open market, but the Indians might have a little more financial flexibility after their playoff run and the increased season-ticket deposits that came with it. Do Sabathia's struggles in the postseason make him a little bit easier to re-sign? And, off the topic, do you cover any other sport in the offseason?
-- Rick B., Baltimore October troubles aside, no shortage of teams would line up for the services of a potential Cy Young Award winner, and that's the bottom line. Sabathia has certainly opened himself up to heightened scrutiny the next time he pitches in the postseason. But his inherent free-agent value is what makes him such a difficult sign for the Indians. As for my offseason workload, coverage of the Indians is still my priority, though I wouldn't mind getting a crack at the World Rock Paper Scissors Championship. And finally... We are having a debate at work, and I was hoping you could settle it. Has anyone ever hit a home run to the upper deck (not the mezzanine, the upper deck) in right field at Jacobs Field? I maintain that Jim Thome has done it and that it has happened occasionally.
-- Phil J., Stow, Ohio Maybe with a Titleist and a three-wood, Phil, but not with a bat and ball. A shot to that upper deck would probably be around 600 feet. Thome does have the longest homer in The Jake's history -- a 511-foot blast to center field off the Royals' Don Wengert in 1999.
-- Jeremy M., Lincoln, Ill. This question has been brewing from the day Cabrera usurped Barfield's second-base duties. And in the wake of the loss to the Red Sox, it's been the most frequent question dropped in the mailbag. The switch you're suggesting, Jeremy, would certainly be easier to pull off than the Seinfeldian "Roommate Switch," but I counter with another question. What has Barfield done at the plate to force this debate? He batted just .243 with three homers and 50 RBIs in 420 at-bats, a year after batting .280 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs in 539 at-bats in his rookie season with the Padres. He showed no plate discipline, drawing just 14 walks while striking out 90 times, and his on-base percentage was an abysmal .270. Should the Indians, then, give up on Barfield? Absolutely not. The Cabrera-to-short/Peralta-to-third plan might have merit further down the road. But to me, the obvious answer in the more immediate sense is to give Barfield, who has two Minor League option years remaining, the grooming time he so clearly needs at Triple-A Buffalo, while leaving the infield composition the same as it was at the end of '07. Cabrera, a natural shortstop, showed he can also master second base, the Indians were happy with Peralta's overall play and Blake, fielding foible in Game 7 of the ALCS aside, did nothing to lose his job and endure yet another position switch. Now that the Indians' magic season has come to an end, what will happen to Kenny Lofton? I want to see him back, but do you think the Indians will try to sign him?
-- Evan S., Solon, Ohio No, I don't. Lofton was a fine fill-in and a fan favorite in the stretch run, but he's not who the Indians are looking for over the long haul. What the Indians need is a left fielder with some pop and run-production capabilities. Lofton doesn't fit that bill. He is the prototypical center fielder/leadoff man, and the Tribe already has one of those.
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-- Miguel, Mexico That's doubtful, Miguel. When Mark Shapiro was asked about that possibility last week, he said, "My inclination is to put the best team possible on the field. It's hard for me to see a team that has its best chance to win without C.C. on it." The Indians usually wait until Spring Training to talk to their players about contract extensions, but they're going to jump the gun with Sabathia. Shapiro said he believes a deal can be worked out, and Sabathia has said he hopes he can stay. If it's going to happen, C.C. would have to be willing to sign a contract that doesn't quite match his monetary value in the open market, but the Indians might have a little more financial flexibility after their playoff run and the increased season-ticket deposits that came with it. Do Sabathia's struggles in the postseason make him a little bit easier to re-sign? And, off the topic, do you cover any other sport in the offseason?
-- Rick B., Baltimore October troubles aside, no shortage of teams would line up for the services of a potential Cy Young Award winner, and that's the bottom line. Sabathia has certainly opened himself up to heightened scrutiny the next time he pitches in the postseason. But his inherent free-agent value is what makes him such a difficult sign for the Indians. As for my offseason workload, coverage of the Indians is still my priority, though I wouldn't mind getting a crack at the World Rock Paper Scissors Championship. And finally... We are having a debate at work, and I was hoping you could settle it. Has anyone ever hit a home run to the upper deck (not the mezzanine, the upper deck) in right field at Jacobs Field? I maintain that Jim Thome has done it and that it has happened occasionally.
-- Phil J., Stow, Ohio Maybe with a Titleist and a three-wood, Phil, but not with a bat and ball. A shot to that upper deck would probably be around 600 feet. Thome does have the longest homer in The Jake's history -- a 511-foot blast to center field off the Royals' Don Wengert in 1999.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
