42.10 Checking the Locks: Center Field

[crobillard]

This is a series where I will evaluate the options in each position leading into Spring Training. This is the seventh of eleven parts. I will be taking a look into the center field position in this post.

Sure fire locks: Wilson Villanuela
Near lock: Jerry Bell

After the departure of Niccolo Macchiavelli to Charlotte last season, Villanuela took over center field and I expect him to do so again once he recovers from his injury. Last year he ended the season with a .318/.361/.478 batting line with 26 doubles, five triples and six homeruns. He also went 27 for 37 in stolen base attempts. Not fantastic, but not terrible either. He's much better suited for RF with 11 arm which is the reason I tried to acquire him in the first place. He was okay in center field though. He had a .994 efficiency and a -0.6 ZR in 87 games at center. I'd like to see numbers on how many bunt for hit attempts he's had because he has an 8 rating there and he's hitting a little more singles than I really expected.

Bell was almost on the outs in Spring Training last season, but he found a role for himself as a defensive specialist. He appeared in 48 games last season most of them coming in late innings as a defensive specialist. He would also collect 177 at bats hitting .226/.307/.345 with eight XBHs and four homeruns. Not bad for a defensive specialist.

The real question is whether I choose to move Robert Menzies to CF instead of SS which would totally blow up the positional rundown of this entire series. I'm going to break this option down at the end, but I want to own up to it here. This is a real option I am considering, but it's not my preferred look for the team.