A member of Chris Getz’s front office is staying put after drawing interest from another American League club.
As first reported by Andy Kotska of the Baltimore Banner, the Orioles have spoken with White Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield about a potential GM role under the president of baseball operations, Mike Elias. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who later confirmed the report, said Barfield has no intentions of joining Baltimore and plans to remain in Chicago at this time.
Barfield, 42, was brought on by Getz in September 2023 and currently works as his right-hand man. He was previously a member of the Diamondbacks organization as early as 2016 as a scout. From there, Barfield worked his way through the system, becoming the Diamondbacks’ Director of Player Development in 2019 – a role that he still held at the time of his hire. Thanks in part to his help, the Diamondbacks were able to build a top-10 farm system, with names such as Corbin Carroll, Drew Jones, Alek Thomas, Brandon Pfaadt, Daulton Varsho, and Jordan Lawlar among those passing through the organization via strong drafts.
A former second baseman, Barfield spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues – one with San Diego, and three with the Guardians. He hit .264/.295/.375 across just over 1,000 plate appearances.
News of Baltimore’s interest comes after it was just revealed that the Orioles promoted Elias ahead of the season. With the general manager becoming the club’s president of baseball operations, the team is exploring options to flesh out its front office, with several hires already made.
When asked about the role, Josh Barfield reportedly told the team that his goal is to see the job through with a winning club in Chicago.
We will continue to monitor the situation for any further updates.
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Featured Photo: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic Baseball Diamondbacks Select Minor League Camp
