C’s Chat – 2016-2017 INF, 2024 Bench Coach #13 Deiferson Barreto – C's Plus Baseball

2016-2017 Vancouver Canadians infielder and 2024 bench coach Deiferson Barreto checks in for this episode of C’s Chat.

The 2024 season marked a decade-plus for Barreto with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, a tenure that began when the Cagua, Venezuela native signed as an international free agent on September 23, 2011. He started out with the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays in 2012 and batted .292 over 46 games in his rookie season. Barreto returned to the DSL in 2013 and batted .300 in 64 contests with a .404 on-base percentage and 19 stolen bases. That got him to the US where he joined the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays for the 2014 season. He led the G-Jays in doubles that year with 15 to go with a .288 batting average and a .412 slugging percentage in 51 games.

Barreto was bumped up to Bluefield for the 2015 campaign and batted a career-best .302 with three homers and 26 runs batted in. The next stop was Vancouver in 2016 where he appeared in 46 contests. Among the highlights were a three-hit game against the Eugene Emeralds on July 25 and a home run and double against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on August 31.

In 2017, Barreto was promoted to High-A Dunedin for 18 games. He even got a one-game trial with Triple-A Buffalo before returning to Vancouver. Barreto scored the first run of the season for the Canadians and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in an Opening Night win at Salem Keizer on June 15. The highlight of Barreto’s season would be in the clinching Game 4 of the Northwest League Championship Series when he drew the walk to ignite a two-run rally, scoring the tying run on a two-run single by Logan Warmoth to erase a 1-0 deficit in the fifth inning. The C’s would prevail over the Eugene Emeralds by a final score of 2-1.

That was the last professional game of Barreto’s career as he would join the coaching ranks in the Blue Jays organization. He was helping out the Dunedin Blue Jays from 2018 to 2020 before joining the Dominican Summer League for the 2021 to 2023 campaigns. Barreto then returned to Vancouver to help manager Brent Lavallee as a bench coach for 2024.

C’s Plus Baseball chatted with the 29-year-old Barreto before the regular season finale against Eugene in September. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – Let’s take it back to your playing days. How did you get started in baseball?

Deiferson Barreto – Hello Vancouver fans. I started, like, really young. I remember my Dad took me to the stadium, give me some practice, get me ready at seven years old. He didn’t want to put me on a team (right away) because he wanted me to be ready for that opportunity. He made me ready. I remember when he put me on the team, my first at-bat, I hit a homer at seven years old.

CPB – How did you wind up with the Blue Jays? Who signed you?

DB – The person that signed me was Moncada. I remember the name Moncada and (Director of Blue Jays Latin American operations) Marcus Paddy. I remember he signed me. He saw me playing in a tryout, and he signed me. But after that, I didn’t see them anymore. Yeah, they left the Blue Jays that year in 2011.

CPB – How did it feel to sign your first professional contract?

DB – It was an exciting moment, you know, because you say, ‘I made it,’ because you’re working for that. Every day you go to the stadium and dream about going to play in the big leagues. But when you sign that contract, it’s awesome. Thank God for giving me the opportunity. I’m still here, yeah.

CPB – Before you got here to Vancouver. What do you remember about starting out as a professional ball player?

DB – I remember when I played my first professional game. It was crazy because when I started my professional career at, like, 0-for-15 (Editor’s Note – 1-for-15). I was frustrated. I wanted to cry because I was younger, like, 16, 17 years old. Yeah, that’s a big moment that I remember, that was tough for me in my career. But after that, I moved on.

CPB – What wass it like playing in the Dominican Summer League. I don’t know if you get a ton of fans, like here in Vancouver, but what is it like getting your first pro experience in the DR?

DB – I mean, it’s exciting, but in the DR, you don’t have fans, you don’t have anything. So it’s all the coaches, the other team, and that’s it. And they like cheering for each other. But you don’t have fans in the DR, you know. It’s a complex. It’s, like, two or three fields. At the rookie levels, you don’t get fans.

CPB – You make your way eventually to Dunedin and Bluefield. What were those experiences like?

DB – I remember in Dunedin, Schneider (John Schneider), now the big league manager. He was my manager. And also Dennis Holmberg who was my manager in Bluefield. Those years especially in Bluefield, I had a great year there. It was fun, like a really good league. It’s not a big city but I mean it was a good league and yeah, it was awesome.

CPB – I guess that was maybe the first time you experienced seeing a few more fans than normal than the DR or Dunedin?

DB – Yeah, Bluefield’s more fans for sure. It was exciting because that was the first time I see fans and play in front of fans. And when I came here to Vancouver, when I saw those fans here, it was crazy. The fans here are the best in the world.

CPB – How did you find out about going to Vancouver?

DB – I was playing at extended spring training. It was in 2016. That was my first year here in Vancouver. Yeah, they told me you’re gonna be in Vancouver this year. Go over there, do your job and that’s it.

CPB – Was it the first time you were in Canada at that point?

DB – I hadn’t been in Canada before. That was my first year in 2016.

CPB – What do you remember about 2016? I know it wasn’t the greatest season on the field. You were a teammate of Cavan Biggio. What do you remember about that very first season?

DB – My host family, you know, that time I could speak English like very well, you know and they supported me, they teach me. Playing with Cavan Biggio, who was one of my best friends here in the system. It was cool. I can’t remember anything else. But yeah, it was fun for me to be here.

CPB – 2017, that was a magical season. What do you remember about that year, specifically clinching the first half and eventually winning the finals?

DB – Yeah, I remember we clinched it like early, the first half. It was a like a fun moment because I’d never been in the playoffs. 2017 was my first year in playoffs. I enjoyed the playoffs, especially in the championship. And that team got like three big leaguers, I remember, three or four, something like that . And when I saw those guys right now pitching in the big leagues, playing in the big leagues, I remember that moment, 2017.

CPB – In the Northwest League Championship Series, you managed to get the split in Eugene. I remember speaking to Samad Taylor and he said he had no doubt in his mind after you guys were able to get the win in that first game in Eugene that you were definitely going to win it. Was that kind of the feeling on the bus when you got back?

DB – Yeah. We win the first one. Obviously we split there, but when we came here, everything was different. The fans, you know, they were like loud and crazy. And yeah, I think we were the best team in this league in 2017, and we felt like we’re going to win it all.

CPB – In Game 4, you were the one who got the rally started, scoring the tying run. What do you remember about that whole inning with Logan Warmoth eventually driving you in and Reggie Pruitt with the winning run?

DB – I think I took a high pitch basically (for a walk), I don’t remember. But I get on base, I started the rally, you know, we score and we won the championship. It was the best. It was amazing.

CPB – What do you remember about that final out when William Ouellette struck out the final batter? What do you remember about the celebration?

DB – I was playing third base. I remember I throw my glove all the way up. I don’t know where it landed but I threw it hard. That’s what I remember from that moment. I started jumping and going to the mound with the boys. I was crying.

CPB – Do you still keep in touch with any of the guys from your playing days?

DB – Yeah, Cavan. I saw Cavan every day when we were with the Blue Jays in spring training and I have his number. Yeah, we keep in touch. I text him all the time. He answers me back. Yeah, we are good friends.

CPB – The transition to coaching, how did that all start for you?

DB – Everything started in 2018 when I was in spring training. They told me that they don’t have a spot for me as a player but they gave me the job. I really appreciate the Blue Jays for everything they do for me. The transition was a little bit hard because I wanted to continue to play. But you focus on coaching, everything’s going better. You’re growing and learning, growing as a coach. And thank God I’m back here in Vancouver again.

CPB – Bench coach duties. You’re helping out Brent (C’s manager Brent Lavallee) with game strategy and that sort of thing. Take us through a typical game day for you and what you do to get ready.

DB – Every day you know as a bench coach, I gotta like support Brent, like you say. Anything he needs, I’m gonna be there for it trying to help them all. For strategy, like you say, if we need a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner, like this guy should be ready for this. That’s part of my job and also I work with the infielders. That’s my responsibility too and I enjoy working with the infielders and being involved in defence.

CPB – Is there maybe any one piece of advice that maybe you give to players when they first arrive in the system?

DB – I mean, if you want to continue to move in the business, you’ve got to play hard. Play hard and work hard. If you do those two things, you’re going to be very successful in this sport.

CPB – Your command of the English language is pretty good. How long did it take you to speak it fluently?

DB – This year I’ve been learning a lot of English because, you know, my staff, they all speak English. I don’t have anyone to speak Spanish to other than (Technology Assistant) Cristian Cordova, the video guy. When Brent speaks to the players, I got to be there and learn. I trust him helping me. If I’m saying something (wrong), they correct me. I really appreciate them. I never done a live interview in English before that’s my first one.

CPB – Really? I’m honoured. Thank you for that. That’s awesome. Final question, how much do you enjoy coaching now? Is it something you want to continue to pursue down the line?

DB – Yeah, I love to coach. I bring energy every day and you got to translate that to the player. If you translate that to the player, they’re going to say, ‘That guy never had a bad day.’ We got to always smile. And I try to create that for the player, and everything’s going to be okay if you bring that energy every day.

Deiferson Barreto File

Born – May 19, 1995 in Cagua, Venezuela
Height/Weight – 5-foot-10, 165 poundds
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 13 for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays in 2014, the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2015 and the Vancouver Canadians in 2016. Wore number 5 for the Dunedin Blue Jays, number 67 for the Buffalo Bisons and number 5 for the Vancouver Canadians in 2017.
Professional Debut – Dominican Summer League Blue Jays at DSL Angels on June 2, 2012 – Hit by José Mendoza pitch in second professional plate appearance.
1st Professional Hit – DSL Blue Jays at DSL Braves on June 6, 2012 – Tripled off Jesus Jones.
1st Professional Home Run – Gulf Coast League Blue Jays vs GCL Tigers on June 30, 2014. Belted three-run home run for GWRBI off Spenser Watkins.
C’s Debut – June 17, 2016 at Spokane – Collected first Northwest League hit with two-run double off Kevin Lenik
1st C’s home run – July 24, 2016 versus Eugene at Nat Bailey Stadium on July 24 off Oscar De La Cruz.
The More You Know – Saw action at second base, third base, shortstop, first base and left field in both seasons with the C’s.