The White Sox are expected to hire Josh Barfield as their new assistant general manager, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago's Chuck Garfien.
Who is Josh Barfield?
Barfield, 40, has worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office over the past eight seasons. Over the most recent five seasons, he's served as the director of the organization's farm system. Before that, he spent time as a scout for three seasons.
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Since Barfield took over as the director, the Diamondbacks have had a top-10 farm system in every season since 2019. They have the 10th-best system this season, sixth in 2022, fourth in 2021, seventh in 2020 and fifth in 2019.
Before his career in the front office, Barfield played 14 seasons between the major and minor leagues.
He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft by the San Diego Padres. He spent five seasons in the Padres' minor league system until he made his MLB debut in 2006. After that season, he was traded to the then-Cleveland Indians for Andrew Brown and Kevin Kouzmanoff.
There, he played in between their minor league system and the big leagues. After his final season with Cleveland in 2009, he signed minor league deals with the Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles over the next three seasons before calling it a career.
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In his major league career, he played 309 games. Barfield slashed .264/.295/.375 and played second base.
Barfield will join newly promoted general manager Chris Getz in the front office to lead a new era of White Sox baseball. With him, he inhales the 20th-ranked farm system in MLB, headlined by Colson Montgomery, SS (No. 17), Noah Schultz, LHP (No. 65) and Edgar Quero, C (No. 86).
He'll also be part of decisions to bring back Liam Hendriks and Tim Anderson for the 2024 season, as well as all other offseason matters alongside, or under, Getz's leadership.