Phils fall to Tigers; Barfield tosses name in hat

Cliff Lee stumbled out of the blocks but finished strong in his first start of the spring, while second baseman Josh Barfield is making a bid for the role of Chase Utley insurance policy.

Tigers 6, Phillies 2: Lee started his 2011 campaign with a bang—a 92 mph heater that drilled Detroit’s leadoff man Will Rhymes. After a subsequent wild pitch, a triple by Ryan Raburn and a sac fly, the Tigers led 2-0 and Lee had thrown just seven pitches. Lee sharpened after his initial struggles, finishing the day with three Ks, one walk and one hit surrendered over two innings of work. Brian Schneider and Josh Barfield both had a pair of hits for the Phils and Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco each drove in a run. Domonic Brown now has eight Ks and zero hits through 14 plate appearances after his 0-for-3, two-strikeout day.

Barfield: Barfield is 4-for-5 with a double and a run scored in two games. Granted, it's a limited sample size, but Barfield deserves to be at least a blip on the Phils’ second-base radar. He was the everyday starter at the position for the Padres in 2006, hitting .280 with 13 homers and 21 steals in 150 games. While Barfield failed to match that production the following season in Cleveland, he posted passable numbers last year for Triple-A Portland (.290 average, .725 OPS). He is a serviceable fielder (.982 fielding percentage in the majors). In the fifth inning, Barfield made a leaping grab to rob Andy Dirks of a hit and prevent a run from scoring. He's a good athlete, hits from the right side and can play the outfield.

With 309 Major League games under his belt, he deserves to be in the conversation along with Pete Orr and Delwyn Young.

Written for Beerleaguer by Matt Grassie

Comments

[CJ]

In the 40 starts since the Indians dealt Lee to the Phils (with PHI, SEA, TEX), Cliff Lee hit a batter and walked a batter just once.

It must be spring training.

[CJ]

I think Barfield is definitely playing his way into the utility conversation, particularly with Chase's early question mark. Barfield has good speed as well, which will make him a nice option for a Sept. call up.

[NEPP]

What the hell happened to Barfield? He seemed like a legitimately decent young player a few years back.

So odd.

He was a 2.2 Win player in 2006.

[NEPP]

Barfield's BA rankings:

2004: #20
2005: #45

Remember, he was once considered one of the better prospects in the game.

[Willard Preacher]

"Granted, it's a limited sample size, but Barfield deserves to be at least a blip..."

Matt Grassie, don't forget you're posting on Beerleaguer. Don't let something like a small sample size get in the way of a good point.

[lorecore]

Most importantly, Barfield's got predigree.

[NEPP]

That pedigree is huge.

Matthews Jr, Mayberry Jr and Barfield is one hell of an OF....(as Barfield can play LF too)

[clout]

Plus Barfield brings athleticism to the team.

[The Truth Injection.]

What is Barfield's age?

[The Truth Injection.]

Also, the Oak Ridge Boys performed the NAtional Anthem today? That is probably their moment for the year.

Has anyone heard their recent cover of Seven Nation Army? It's interesting to say the least. The bass vocal guy harmonizes the bass line from the original.

[bay_area_phan]

Pedigree notwithstanding, the only way I can see Barfield having any chance of making the roster is if Utley begins the season on the DL. Otherwise, if the Phillies want to give that last roster spot to an infielder/outfielder type, they'd be better off giving it to Delwyn Young, who is a better hitter than Barfield and can play both 2nd & 3rd.

But, yeah, it does seem like just yesterday that Barfield was considered a rising star.

[Scotch Man]

Will the fans cheer BAAAAAAARF when he comes to bat?

[Billy Mac]

Barfield is ahead of Orr -- he's right handed and is younger. I haven't seen enough of his defense, but it seems the Phils prefer his defense at 2b over D.Young.

[Will Schweitzer]

"Dom Brown K's looking. We should have traded him for Roy Halladay when we had the chance!"

I'm sure this was said as a joke, but it's going to be VERY interesting to see who has the more productive major league career: Domonic Brown or Kyle Drabek.

[Billy Mac]

Delwyn Young has played all of 8 games at 3B in his career, so I am not sure if he can play it. I also never realized how overweight he was, but despite the extra pounds, he moves well.

[bay_area_phan]

Will: For me, the interesting career battle will be Dom Brown & Michael Taylor. At the time of the Halladay trade, I was hoping the Phillies would trade Brown & keep Taylor -- in part because of Taylor's right-handedness & in part because of his monster 2009 season.

[cut_fastball]

bap -- Conlin loved Taylor also; I could look it up, but I'm pretty sure that old burley Bill thought Taylor he was the best player the Phil's had ~2009. I believe Taylor's still reeling after being discarded in the Brett Wallace / Anthony Gose trade-o-thon with Toronto/ Oakland.

Who knows? Hard to believe a 25-year old former stud loses "bat speed" and fades into the sunset. More like he's really depressed being buried by Billy Ball. Geesh.

[cut_fastball]

Er, umm make that Bill Conlin observation for Michael Taylor "minor leaguer/ up and coming player". Geesh indeed.

[bay_area_phan]

cut: Yeah, he obviously had a bad 2010 season, so this year is key. I actually think he's going to bounce back nicely. Considering the A's crowded OF situation, Taylor could probably be had in a trade.

[clout]

When Barfield was a prospect, there were questions about his strike zone judgment. He swung at too many bad pitches and while he had fair power, his glove wasn't dazzling enough to support a guy whose OB would be around the Mendoza line.

But a lot of scouts thought he'd improve in that area and that his glove, which was just average, would improve as well.

His rookie year was very solid for age 23 and while his OB wasn't great (.318), it was certainly an OK start.

Then he was traded to Cleveland and his development went backwards: OB and power down, defense also down at age 24.

He spent the next 2 years at Trip A to get his mojo back, but his zone judgment got even worse, posting OB of .288 and .271 and no improvement in power.

Last year in Trip A he bounced back (.295/.325/.400) but that's still a pretty weak OB and the power never did come back. Plus the PCL is a hitter's league.

In his minor league career he's walked in just 6% of his plate appearances. That makes Pedro Feliz look like Kevin Youklis.

Conclusion: At age 28 it is extremely unlikely that Barfield will improve his offense enough to be more than a fringe major leaguer. Valdez is a more valuable asset.

[clout]

cut: People forget, or don't know, that Taylor played hurt last year. He had shoulder problems early in the season that never did go away. Some scouts thought it affected his mechanics and coaches actually worked with him on that, which may have messed him up even more. It wound up being a lost season.

[MG]

bap - I was bummed too that the Phils moved Taylor in the trade instead of Brown at the time.

Got a chance to see Taylor a bunch in Reading that summer and looked like a decent corner OF who would ultimately be a .280-.285 AVG with 20-25 HR guy in the pros. Not an a perennial All-Star but a very solid and productive asset to have that was cost-controlled for several years. Definitely a piece who would help this team and be a building block into this decade.

[ghost of spring training pasts]

season = over

[Will Schweitzer]

I wonder if Oakland misses Country Joe.

[out of my league]

I miss Kentucky Joe, just not enough to take him back. I miss Hudson and Haren, too. Hell I even miss Zito, but I love that he's got that big fat contract and pitches just across the bay...makes it easy to catch watch him pitch and happy that my team isn't paying him that ridiculous amount of money.

I wasn't missing Rich Harden too much, yet like a bad penny he's back with the A's and already injured/sore (whatever he wants to call it).

Got my tix to see the A's series in Philly 6/24, 6/25, 6/26...woohoo!

[awh]

I must have missed it, but according to Zolecki, the Phils offered Durbin 1/2MM in Dec., but pulled it after they signed Lee.

[schmitty's stache]

So now you guys are going back to 09' offseason and questioning trading Taylor and Drabek for Roy Halladay. 2 prospects, whom have done what exactly. Isn't Drabek injured to start this season, and Taylor's 10' performance is being explained away as also being injured. But you'd rather have him than Domino? After 4 spring training games, we should give up on the #4 MLB prospect?

Beerleaguer = Chicken Little

Oh, I knew it, we should have kept Taylor, Bill Conlin was right, etc...They could have had all 3 for all I care. We got the best RH SP in MLB, Dr No No, Cy Young 10'.

And all the comments being made during the game thread about Lee. If 1 hit over 2 innings is the worst this guy can do, if that's what has you so worried, WOW, have you seen Blanton or KK pitch...1 hit, really. I know he hit a guy and walked a guy, but 1 hit, that's what all the fuss is about

[cut_fastball]

schmitty -- Just wondering what happened to Michael Taylor in '10 is all.

Regarding other issues, early, early, early season status notwithstanding, here's hoping Messrs. Lee & Oswalt have career-best, trouble-free lower back histories in '11.

[NEPP]

Taylor could have a big bounce back year and end up as a decent corner OF...though the odds are, of course, against that happening.

Dom Brown could go 5-5 today with 3 HRs and suddenly find everything clicking for him.

Though the odds are also against that happening. It should be noted though that when slumps end...they tend to end fast.

[NEPP]

***I know he hit a guy and walked a guy, but 1 hit, that's what all the fuss is about***

I guess sarcasm and "tongue-in-cheek" humor goes over your head.

[Jbird]

I thought Barfield was going to be awesome back in the day. Never understood what happened to him on the flight from San Diego to Cleveland

[Schmitty's Stache]

sometimes it feels like bad parenting...you'll never amount to anything kid...that type of thing

in short, had we sent all 3 to TOR this would be a none issue. RF would be Fransico's, he'd be the RH bat to fill Werth's spot...end of story

this is the best Phillies team ever assembled, some would argue the greatest Philadelphia team ever assembled. this is the golden era for the Phillies. you would think the fans would actually be enjoying it.

we're not the loveable losers anymore. we're not the over achievers anymore. we're the favorites. get use to it

[awh]

JBird, he must have been on the plane with some guys like Spook Jacobs and Joe Frazier who were on their way to an oldtimers game.

I suspect that from them he contracted that common disease that afflicts most baseball players, "foedusmajoritis", which affects the performance most baseball skills if they ever set foot in a major league ballpark.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Jbird - Perhaps he realized that he was headed from lovely San Diego to...Cleveland... :(

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Did I miss Clout Day this year? I could've sworn it was later in March...

Anyway, other than the overall health of the players and figuring out who's going to start in rightfield this spring training is a no-brainer, right?

[awh]

s-stache, you have to understand that psychologically it's a difficult transition for Phillies' fans to make. It's not THAT easy.

My hope is that we don't become smug and arrogant like Red Sox fans, who went from rooting for the Don Quixote's of the AL East who never quite managed to win it, to rooting for an organization that tries to put together a potential WS winner every year.

I spend a fair amount of time in MA during the year, and I can tell you that many of the fans have made the psychological transition to arrogant punks who feel entitled and have little appreciation for or memory of their annual despair.

So, if Phillies fans have not changed to that type of fan, I'm OK with it. Consecutive 90 loss seasons are not that far back in time.

I hope that we all - especially the young kids who weren't around at the time and have never known losing - will not forsake our humble roots, feel some appreciation and gratitude for the team we get to watch right now, and never forget how bad it can be if the baseball gods turn their back on your team.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Quoting East Fallowfield..."Yo, new thread!"

[Schmitty's Stache]

awh - agreed. it is hard, and it isn't that long ago.

Dom and the bullpen are easy targets and the only positions where there might be some debate. But everyday with the sky is falling routine, it takes some of the enjoyment out of it

Ben should be the opening day starter in RF. Dom can start in RF against RHP, and you have Ben of Dom if Vic of Raul need a day off.

The math that was posted yesterday really relieved some of the worry about the bullpen for me (see what i did there, relieved). If our SPs have an average season for IP, the bullpen won't be a factor.

[awh]

Jeltzy, exactly.

The reality is that these players are likely to break camp with teh Phillies:

Chooch
Howie
Chase
Jimmy
Polly
Raul
Shane

Ben Fran
Schneider
Wilson
Ross

Doc
Cliff
Roy
Cole
Joe B

Brad
Mad Dog
Big Truck
J.C.
KK

What's not been decided is

1) who the starter in RF is going to be (or whether it will be a platoon).

Contenders (on paper, anyway):

Domo
Benny
Mayberry

2) one other bench spot

Paper Contenders:

Young
Barfield
MMartinez
Mayberry
Bocock

2) possibly 2 bullpen spots (ass-u-ming Baez is on the bubble)

Contenders:

Baez
Bastardo
Schlitter
Herndon
Zagurski
Worley
Mathieson
Anderson
De Fratus
Schwimmer

Baez nay have a slight advantage because of his contract, and Bastardo also because of his "handedness".

[Schmitty's Stache]

Worley should be a lock. He looked really strong when he was called up last year. And when Bastardo is locked in, he's unhittable. There's something mental with him though. Kind of like JC. They start over thinking and missing.

I can't go another season with Baez and Herndon. They don't belong in MLB

[Schmitty's Stache]

I like Sardinha. Can he play any other position?

Schneider was catching Lee yesterday. Is that the plan for the season. Give Chooch a day off when Lee pitches.

[EastFallowfield]

Quoting myself, "Yo, new thread!" again.