Via MetsBlog.com, Josh Barfield is now a member of the Cleveland Indians:

The Padres have ignited the hot-stove season Wednesday, trading second baseman Josh Barfield to the Indians for highly regarded Triple-A third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and Triple-A pitcher Andrew Brown. Barfield, 23, gave the Padres a strong rookie season this year, batting .280 with 32 doubles, 13 home runs, 72 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts. He also earned solid marks for his athletic defense.

The right-handed bat of Kouzmanoff, however, has strong appeal. In 244 at-bats in Double-A last season, Kouzmanoff batted .389 with 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 55 RBI. Triple-A pitching wasn't much of a problem for Kouzmanoff, 25, who went on to bat .353 with nine doubles and seven home runs in 102 at-bats for Buffalo.

Of course, with Marte, a third baseman was expendable for the Indians. Josh is just 24, so he's still developing as a player. Barfield's strength on offense was his ability to hit doubles and steal bases with a high percentage of success. He also ranked second in the NL in defensive win shares at second base. Defense should be a high priority for the Tribe this winter.

Andrew Brown struck out a lot of batters but walked a lot also. He put up very good numbers with runners in scoring position.

Time will tell how this trade works out. On the surface, it appears to be a fair deal. My one concern is Kouzmanoff is a couple of years older than Barfield. That gives the Padres a better short term upside, but the Indians the better long-term gain.