Don’t hedge your Betts
Mookie deserves CF over JBJ
MIAMI — It’s understood that from here on out, Red Sox manager John Farrell could turn Travis Shaw into his closer and pencil in Jean Machi at third base and everybody back in New England would either shrug and resume obsessing over a courtroom sketch artist’s horrifying depictions of Tom Brady or, worse yet, fail to notice at all.
The Red Sox are bad, the Red Sox are boring, the Red Sox are irrelevant and yesterday’s 14-6 drubbing at the hands of Miami did nothing but reinforce those key lessons from the 2015 season.
But, even so, as the ballclub plays out its embarrassingly long string, occasional developments will demand our attention. Yesterday, one did. And with one important qualification, it bodes well for keeping the remainder of the season at least mildly entertaining and lay the groundwork for a 2016 season that cannot arrive soon enough.
You see, Farrell yesterday did hint more strongly than he ever has that the Sox are toying with the idea of starting to shuffle around a few positional players to see who can play where.
Such as Hanley Ramirez playing first or third base. Or Pablo Sandoval at first base.
Two great ideas, as is the notion that Jackie Bradley Jr. should continue to see plenty of playing time in the outfield. But please apply the brakes on the bandwagon that wants to see Bradley in center field and move Mookie Betts to left or right.
Betts needs to keep playing exactly the same position — center field — that he is now.
Nobody disputes that Bradley is the superior defensive center fielder, and that he has few peers in the big leagues when it comes to playing that position.
So what?
Playing center field is a privilege, not a right, and until and unless Bradley can prove that he is a twoway player — that is, can hit big league pitching well and consistently — he has no right to assume Betts’ position.
Based on his remarks, Farrell appeared to agree with this line of reasoning.
“For the time being. I don’t think anyone can argue Jackie’s capabilities in center, but I won’t run from Mookie taking over the center field job and producing offensively and playing a solid center field,” said Farrell. “That’s not to say we couldn’t see an alignment that is maybe a little different than last night and tonight if Hanley’s (foot) situation is prolonged. But Jackie is a damn good center fielder, we know. Honestly, I think he’s the best center fielder in the game, defensively. At the same time, Mookie has taken that job and run with it. We’ll continue to get all of them on the field.”
That’s good sound common sense, which is exactly what the Sox need to ride out the rest of this season. Ramirez has neither privilege nor the right to stake a claim as a legitimate left fielder, based on his performance. His transition to the position has been as horrendous as Betts’ has been impressive.
Just as nobody should forget how poorly Bradley hit last season, nobody should fail to recall that this is Betts’ first full season as a center fielder. He was a second baseman last year and this year, he has already taken big strides into becoming an average to above-average center fielder while more than holding up his end of the bargain as the club’s leadoff hitter, and doubles and steals leader.
By FanGraphs’ accounting, he’s the major’s seventhbest center fielder based on WAR.
The last thing he needs is another position change.
If Farrell wants to give Betts a day off and play Bradley there, of course he should. And if he wants to just give Bradley the occasional additional start in center, there will be no objections here.
But anything more than that?
That would be a huge mistake.
“I don’t know that a player can lose his job because of a short-term injury, I don’t see how a player could ever do that,” said Farrell, referring to Betts’ recent 11-game layoff due to a concussion. “That’s not to say that we don’t have talented players or a talented player can come and move a guy along. But when you’re talking about a center-of-the-player, typically they’re a defender and an offensive producer. Mookie has clearly demonstrated that.”
Put Ramirez anywhere but left field?
Move Sandoval to first base for a look?
Play Shaw more, play Bradley more, play Rusney Castillo more? Yes, yes and yes. But please, leave Betts exactly where he is.
The risk of fouling up a good thing is much greater than the reward of seeing a few highlight reel catches from Bradley.