Michael Barrett’s stormy stay with the Cubs ended Wednesday morning when he was traded to San Diego for catcher Rob Bowen, minor-league outfielder Kyler Burke and cash considerations.
While trading a starting catcher for a backup and paying $1.5 million of the remaining $2.3 million on Barrett’s contract appears to be addition by subtraction, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry said it was simply time to “shuffle the deck” and improve the club defensively.
“We felt [Barrett] was well on his way to becoming a terrific player, an All-Star caliber player,” Hendry said. “This year he’s had a tougher time defensively, and a lot of it’s probably from trying too hard, and some of it’s maybe because it’s the last year of his deal. But he’s been a really, really good offensive player.
“For the first couple of years [with the Cubs] he showed a lot of improvement defensively, and then he had a rougher time defensively the first half of this year. We just felt like we needed to make a change, and we’re happy to have Rob.”
Barrett released a statement on Wednesday through his agent, thanking Hendry and the Cubs for giving him an opportunity in Chicago.
“It was an honor for me to put on a Chicago Cubs uniform, and I want to personally thank Jim Hendry, the Cubs organization and all of the Cubs fans for making the past four years so special,” Barrett said. “At the same time, I’m very excited to go to San Diego and do everything that I can to help the Padres win the NL West.”
Bowen and Koyie Hill will be the Cubs catching tandem, at least for the time being. Henry Blanco remains on the disabled list with a herniated disc and has not responded well to treatment. If Blanco is not ready to return in a couple of weeks, the only other option is surgery.
Hendry said Barrett’s fight with Carlos Zambrano on June 1 and his dugout incident with Rich Hill last week did not factor into the trade. He said the argument with Hill over pitch selection was just “normal everyday baseball that just happened to be seen [on TV] and blown out of proportion.” Hendry said “focus is never a problem for Michael,” despite Barrett’s lapses in concentration.
Barrett, who is eligible for free agency after the season, fell out of favor in recent weeks after his fight with Zambrano and several mental gaffes on the bases and behind the plate.
“Truthfully, the fight had nothing to do with it,” Hendry said.
Barrett threw out only three of 31 base-runners attempting to steal this year. He also struggled offensively, hitting .258 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs, and a .307 on-base percentage.
But it was Barrett’s defensive play that was the catalyst for the move. Manager Lou Piniella refused to pair him with Zambrano again after their celebrated fight on June 1 and said he would rest him more often last week. When Piniella made the comment, “It’s about time they play like major-leaguers, or get somebody who can catch the damn ball or run the bases properly,” he was obviously alluding to the inconsistent play of Barrett and Matt Murton, who has since been demoted to Triple-A Iowa.
Barrett makes $4.5 million, while the 26-year-old Bowen, a four-year veteran who has served as a backup all of his career, makes $382,000. Bowen, a switch hitter, is hitting .268 with two home runs and 11 RBIs.
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THE NEW CUBS
Rob Bowen
The catcher is batting .268 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 30 games for the Padres this season. The former Minnesota catcher has spent the last two years in San Diego and has a lifetime average of .230 with six home runs and 27 RBIs.
Kyler Burke
The right-fielder is batting .211 with 21 RBI and three steals in 62 games for the Ft. Wayne Wizards.
— AP, Tribune
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Barrett’s greatest hits
May 9, 2004 Throws out two Colorado Rockies who tried to steal second base and tags out a runner at the plate in the 10th inning of a 13-inning, 5-4 victory.
May 28, 2004 Hits a pinch-hit grand slam during a 9-5 loss to Pittsburgh. It was his first pinch-hit homer as wells as the first grand slam of his career, according to mlb.com.
April 15, 2004 Has his first-ever multi-homer game, also against Pittsburgh.
Aug. 22, 2004
After getting plunked by Roy Oswalt, Barrett approaches the mound. Both benches empty, but no punches are thrown.
Late in the 2004 season
Sits on the bench when Mark Prior starts during the last month of the season, one of the first signs that Barrett has trouble catching for a star Cubs pitcher. Prior has a 5.85 ERA in 75 innings with Barrett, and an 0.83 ERA in 43 innings with Paul Bako. “I didn’t put two and two together until this off-season,” Barrett would later tell the Tribune.
2005 season
Wins the National League Silver Slugger award for catchers, hitting .276, with 16 home runs and 61 RBI.
May 20, 2006
Creating one of the most memorable moments in Chicago sports history, Barrett punches White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski after the Sox backstop bowls over Barrett, then slaps home plate. Barrett gets suspended for 10 games.
June 1, 2007 Gets into a scuffle in the dugout with teammate Carlos Zambrano. The fight continued in the clubhouse, and each player was fined an undisclosed amount.
June 12, 2007 Has a heated discussion with pitcher Rich Hill that’s caught on camera during a 5-3 loss. Barrett muffs a throw from Jacque Jones in the last inning, allowing Seattle’s Jose Vidro to score the decisive run.
— Chris Herring, RedEye
