Josh Barfield’s season as an MLB executive has taken a complete 180. The White Sox’s newest assistant general manager left an exciting young Diamondbacks team that is in the thick of a playoff race to join one that is on the precipice of losing 100 games.
Barfield has spent the last nine years in the Diamondbacks organization and the last four as the director of player development. He was fully engulfed in the NL Wild Card race so when he got a call from the White Sox he was caught off guard.
“When I received the phone call that the White Sox asked for permission [to interview] I don’t think it was something that was on the forefront of my mind,” Barfield said during a media session. “But the more I got to know the people here, got to know Chris [Getz], played against him didn’t really know him well, but getting to spend time with him, hear his vision and seeing all the pieces that are here. Seeing the division that we’re in. The opportunity was too good to pass up.”
On Wednesday the 40-year-old had to watch former players he helped develop on the Diamondbacks take on his new team. It was a bittersweet moment for Barfield, who acknowledged the decision to leave Arizona was a difficult one.
“It was really hard, right? It was really the only organization I’d known post-playing career,” Barfield told the media before Wednesday’s game. “It was a family atmosphere, much like it is over here. It was hard to leave, to leave some of these guys I’m so invested in, not only professionally but personally getting to know their families and kids. That part is hard.
“Anytime in life when you want to do something great you have to take a step out of your comfort zone. Everything lined up with this. Yeah, the D-backs fought to keep me, but as I went back and forth, talking to my wife, everything made sense here.”
Barfield played a key role in helping develop Corbin Carroll, who is on track to win the NL Rookie of the Year. Carroll torched the White Sox on Wednesday with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored en route to a 3-0 Diamondbacks victory.
Carroll represents the type of growth from a young player the White Sox are hoping to see out of their once-budding stars. It is one of the many reasons that Chris Getz wanted to bring Barfield aboard.
“Watching these guys play [for Arizona], from our dugout over there, those guys were developed right. I’m glad he’s on our side,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said when asked about Barfield. “Smart, articulate, well-spoken, you can go on and on and on. I’m happy he’s on our team. I think Chris has done a really good job assembling a nice group around him that’s going to bring some different ideas.”
Barfield is a former player, who has already injected energy into the front office. After listening to him speak with reporters it is clear that he is hungry to help the White Sox right the ship.
“He’s a connector of people,” Getz said of Barfield. “He’s going to energize our group, he already has. And once again, I feel fortunate for him to come aboard.”
Getz knows he has his work cut out for him. Outside of Dylan Cease the White Sox rotation needs to be completely rebuilt. There are also holes across the diamond and key decisions that need to be made on players such as Tim Anderson and Liam Hendriks. The farm system has some nice pieces but was still ranked just 20th in MLB Pipelines mid-season rankings.
Barfield’s main focus will be on player development, something that has been lacking in Chicago in recent years. However, he is also going to have a say in player acquisition and roster construction over the offseason.
“I’m on this side and obviously really excited about what we are doing here,” Barfield said of the White Sox. “But to see finished products on the field from guys I had when they were 15, 16, 17 years old and seeing where they were then to where they are now and where the organization kind of was a few years ago to where they are now, it’s exciting and gives a lot of hope and optimism here. Again, there’s some really talented players not only in the big leagues but in the Minor Leagues right now.”
