A Fresh Start?

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Six years ago they were on the same distinguished list as Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels, minor-league stars on the verge of breaking into the big leagues.

When Baseball America published its 2005 top 100 prospects, Dan Meyer, Josh Barfield and Brandon Moss were right there with Howard and Hamels.

Meyer, a pitcher out of Kingsway High School in South Jersey, ranked 43d, 16 spots behind Howard. Barfield, an infielder whose father Jesse played 12 seasons with Toronto and the New York Yankees, was two spots behind Meyer at 45. Moss, an eighth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2002, ranked one spot behind Hamels at No. 73.

Now, Meyer, Barfield and Moss are non-roster invitees, long shots looking to make the Phillies' opening-day roster.

"It's tough because you've been there and I think all of us at one point have had some type of success, so you know you can perform there," Meyer said. "It's just about performing consistently day in and day out. Sometimes, it can be even more frustrating because you want to get back to the big leagues so bad and it becomes like quicksand. The harder and harder you try, the deeper it gets."

Meyer, Barfield and Moss have all had a small sampling of big-league success, but nothing close to the joyride Howard and Hamels have experienced.

A first-round pick by the Braves in 2002, Meyer is now with his fourth organization. His biggest claim to fame was being sent to Oakland in the 2004 trade that brought the Braves Tim Hudson. His one and only full successful season in the big leagues came two years ago with Florida when he was 3-2 with two saves and a 3.09 ERA in 71 appearances.

Barfield's best season was a year after he landed on the Baseball America top 100. As a rookie with San Diego in 2006, he batted .280 with 32 doubles, 13 home runs and stole 21 bases. That November he was traded to Cleveland and his career tumbled into obscurity.

Since hitting .243 with the Indians in 2007, he has had just 53 at-bats in the big leagues and dealt with a variety of injuries, including hand surgery in 2008. Last season, after returning to the Padres organization as a free agent, he did not play at all in the big leagues for the first time since 2005. He had decent numbers at triple A Portland, but also spent considerable time on the disabled list.

Now 28, he's trying to resurrect his career with the Phillies. So far, he's made a favorable impression, batting .474 (9 for 19), including two hits in Sunday's 6-3 Grapefruit League win over the Minnesota Twins.

"Obviously you have tremendous talent at every position, but I felt like there would still be a chance to make the team," Barfield said. "You look at a guy like Wilson Valdez and what happened with him last year. You have an opportunity to come in and contribute to a team like this and it is kind of a no-brainer."

Charlie Manuel has taken notice of Barfield.

"Lately, Barfield definitely has caught my eye and he's playing second base [Monday against Houston]," the manager said.

Like Meyer, Moss' biggest claim to fame was being part of a blockbuster trade. At the trade deadline in 2008, the outfielder was moved from Boston to Pittsburgh in the deal that sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez from Boston to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Moss had a modicum of success as a reserve with the Red Sox, batting .295 with five doubles and two home runs in 2008 before being traded to Pittsburgh, where his career went into a downward spiral.

"It worked for me in Boston," Moss said. "I played well there. Then I went to Pittsburgh and I didn't play well. A lot of things contributed to that. I think the thing that hurt me in Pittsburgh was that I was good at being a role player in Boston. And then I get to Pittsburgh and it was my first opportunity to get a starting job and I tried to be too many things that I wasn't."

The lesson to be learned from the situation Meyer, Barfield and Moss find themselves in is that prospect lists can be as inaccurate as weather forecasts. Injuries and other misfortunes can turn a promising career into a fight for your baseball life.

"My dad always told me not to read my own press because you might start to believe it," Barfield said.

Meyer, 29, is amazed at how time has passed.

"I had actually forgotten about that [Baseball America] list, but it seems like yesterday," Meyer said. "It just goes by so quickly in this game. I thought I'd be in this game forever and, all of a sudden I'm 29 and a little older.

"I still have some good years ahead of me, but I remember when I was 23 and in A-ball, I had the whole world in front of me. It's interesting how fast it goes."