Cliff Bartosh

The Tigers claimed the reliever after the Padres tried to remove him from the 40-man roster, and the Indians subsequently claimed him when the Tigers tried to do the same in December. He posted a mediocre season in his first look at Triple-A, and then was bombarded in the Arizona Fall League, posting a roughed-up 7.29 ERA, with 31 hits allowed in 21 innings. He is however a lefty, and another chance or two is a reality, particularly with the pitching-depleted Indians. A spot in the bullpen sometime in 2004 as a situational guy is a possibility.

Excellent minor league numbers don’t always translate into major league success, but Bartosh has pitched as well as any of the Padres’ relief prospects over the past few seasons. In 2002, he led Double-A Mobile with 25 saves while posting a 3.18 ERA and fanning 70 in 70 2/3 IP. The 6’2” lefty is a strong candidate to break camp with the Padres in 2003.