Red Sox Center Fielders

The Red Sox are attempting to recover from a disastrous collapse in 2011.  They have employed the band-aid method, retaining all of the players that worked last season and attempting to patch up the positions which fell short.  One area that will not need a band-aid is center field.

1.  Jacoby Ellsbury:  Ellsbury entered his prime last season and responded in a huge way, batting .321 with 212 hits, 119 runs scored, 32 homers, 105 runs batted in, and 39 stolen bases.  He'll be 29 this season and there's no reason to expect for him to improve further, but he shouldn't start to decline for several more seasons either.  Boston is expecting another huge season out of their center fielder in 2012.

2.  Darnell McDonald:  McDonald did not perform well as a fourth outfielder last season, batting .236 in 157 at-bats.  Despite that, McDonald is penciled in to be the team's starting right fielder and still fill in for Ellsbury and LF Carl Crawford on occasion.  The Red Sox are expecting a decent season from McDonald in right field, but they may be disappointed very quickly.

3.  Che-Hsuan Lin:  Lin is a well-regarded player from Chinese Taipei who has played in a Futures Game.  Lin is a good fielder, but last season he only batted .245 in 466 at-bats in the Minors.  He doesn't really stand much of a chance of making the team and he probably needs at least another half-season in the Minors, although he may get a recall in September with a strong showing at Pawtucket.

4.  Josh Kroeger:  Kroeger is a Minor League veteran and former top prospect in the Arizona, Pittsburgh, Cubs and White Sox organizations.  Last season he batted .284 in 282 at-bats for New Orleans and displayed strong defense in center field and versatility at a number of other positions.  Kroeger will compete for a role as the team's fourth outfielder, and it would not be a huge surprise to see him win that job.

Boston looks strong in center field.  Ellsbury is a star in every sense of the word.  McDonald has been a serviceable fourth outfielder in the past and is being called upon to start in right field for the time being.  Lin is an interesting prospect who could make an impact in the future.  Kroeger is good for depth and has the potential to make a decent fourth outfielder.