NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was Josh Barfield’s first winter meetings wearing an assistant general manager title. There were behind the scenes trade talks, talks with agents, players and personnel from every nook of the baseball industry.
The first-year, 40-year-old assistant GM also carried a higher profile, on stage representing the White Sox at the Draft Lottery and, wearing a Homestead Grays jersey, sitting alongside CC Sabathia to promote the Hall of Fame’s upcoming East-West Classic, a tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game. Sabathia and Barfield, who played four years in the major leagues from 2006-09, will play in the game on Memorial Day weekend in Cooperstown.
Barfield did not hesitate when asked to “help bring awareness to the history of Black baseball,” he said. His uncle, Allen Overton, played in the Negro Leagues, and Barfield remembers hearing his stories when he was a small child. Josh’s father, Jesse Barfield, starred at Joliet Central High School before going on to a 12-year career in the majors.
“Baseball is in my blood,” Barfield said. “My dad is a big historian. We’re big historians of the game. Just knowing the history of the game and what guys had to go through before us, and hearing the stories of the Negro Leagues, I grew up idolizing those guys.”
Major league rosters were comprised of 59 African-Americans last season (6.2%), so Barfield didn’t hesitate to aid the cause for getting more Blacks committed to baseball at a young age.
“The reason [my dad] he played baseball when other guys were playing basketball and football was because there were Black players playing for the Cubs and the White Sox [when he attended games at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park as a kid].”
Barfield said his watched games and idolized those players.
“It’s so important having people out there you can relate to that kind of look like you to show this is a possibility,” he said. “It’s kind of sad now that there are not as many as there were when my dad was playing, and I think this will help bring awareness to that and hopefully grow the game from that side.”
Barfield is learning more about the Sox’ decorated ACE program which aims to do just that with educational and baseball opportunities for minorities in the cities and suburbs.
“A lot of young Black kids grow up thinking basketball and football are my only ways out,” Barfield said. “Just knowing there is so much opportunity in baseball and so much history — you see guys like Mookie Betts and Jayson Heyward who are tremendous athletes who probably had opportunities to go different directions but they picked baseball and did great. Anything we can do to shine light on that will only help.”
Barfield also knows the significance of being a Black executive, “when you have decision makers that look like you, that are aware of so many things that young black men go through in this country,” he said. “It’s important.”
With the Sox, he faces the sizable challenge of fixing up an organization lacking depth on the major and minor league levels. He worked the last nine years and the last four as the director of player development of a successful Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
“It can turn around quickly,” he said. “We got a really good head start with the moves that were made at the deadline last year. That infused talent into the system.”
In the offseason, Aaron Bummer was traded for five young Braves players or prospects, and free agent shortstop and starter Erick Fedde have been signed.
“And with [more] possible moves, a chance to improve the system there, too,” Barfield said. “But it starts with scouting. The players that we’re bringing into the organization, continuing to be strategic with the guys we’re drafting and signing, that’s probably the quickest way to turn around a farm system.”
A trade of Dylan Cease, one of the more attractive targets in the market, could infuse more talent. A slow market is forcing GM Chris Getz and Barfield to be patient.
“We’re in a position of leverage because I don’t think we have to trade Cease,” Barfield said. “Two years of [contract] control, really good pitcher, he definitely helps us next year. At the same time, we’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to listen to everything.
“People are going to have interest in Cease. So if we make a move, if we don’t, we’re just going to be patient and wait for the right one.”
The feeling around the industry is that the Sox got a good one in Barfield.
“His evaluation of players is excellent,” Getz said. “When it comes to coaching hires, whether it be on the major league side, the minor league side, front office, his input has been very valuable. He’s experienced, both as a player and in the front office. He’s been part of an organization that had recent success. You talk about an organization that didn’t have many wins, and they climbed fairly quickly and obviously found their way to the World Series.”
