What can Josh Barfield bring to the White Sox organization?
The former major-leaguer and bright-minded Josh Barfield has a lot to get started on as the new assistant general manager for the Chicago White Sox. Is the damage going to be too much as is already, or can Barfield, along with the organization's staff, turn it around?
The White Sox were downright awful throughout the entire 2023 season. It was a forgetful and devastating period of time for an organization and fanbase that was expected to be much more successful.
The organization did the right thing by parting ways with Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams, but is Chris Getz and Josh Barfield the correct answer towards what the White Sox were in need of?
At the moment, it's hard to say, considering both new options have been all talk for the most part but there's undoubtedly some optimism, especially when comparing it to what Hahn and Williams did for the club.
The White Sox saw a big part of Josh Barfield's career, not as peers but as rivals, spending three out of his four years in Cleveland. Barfield was an average major league baseball player but it's still nice to have someone in the office who also experienced what the game was like as a player.
Barfield has been in many situations his players will be going through in the future. Hopefully, Barfield will be there for certain things whereas Kenny Williams couldn't provide for the organization or team.
The Chicago white Sox might have made a good decision with Josh Barfield.
Josh Barfield was asked what players he hopes to add to the roster in 2024, and his answer was structured in a way that seemed like he was ready to get to work and find the right fits for all of the White Sox's needs, which at the moment is an abundance of change needed to happen.
Josh Barfield is expecting many changes in 2024 for the Chicago White Sox. He wants the White Sox to compete and be more hardworking than they have in the previous two seasons.
The White Sox need to "grind out at-bats" instead of leaning on solo home run shots, along with a want for battling in the box regardless of the game's situation.
Barfield also wants to put more pressure on other teams versus a stale or lazy approach that has been represented for a severe amount of time now.
He lastly added that he wants clean play defensively. He claimed that October baseball was won with crisp and smooth play on both sides of the field.
The home runs, and big plays are fun to watch but it's the defense that needs to step up more than usual if this organization wants to get back in the playoffs again soon.
Josh Barfield has a lot of work to do before the 2024 season arrives and it will be interesting to see what unfolds after the 2023 MLB season officially comes to an end.
Barfield and Getz are two bright and young minds but if the pressure from the fanbase is too much to handle for both of them, their tenure in their current job positions can get replaced quickly.