Red Sox manager Terry Francona confirmed that Jacoby Ellsbury will play left field for the Red Sox in 2010 and two-time Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron will play centerfield. The news was first reported by The Providence Journal.

Cameron has played only centerfield since the 2005 season, when he and Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran had a frightful collision while Cameron — who signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal with the Sox earlier this offseason — was in right field. Cameron made clear that he was more than happy to play any outfield position for the Red Sox, but Francona, in concert with bench coach DeMarlo Hale and G.M. Theo Epstein, decided that having Ellsbury in left, Cameron in center and J.D. Drew in right made for the optimal defensive team.

“With [Cameron's] long strides and him being a centerfielder, and Jacoby’s first-step quickness, I think this sets us up better where we can get, I think the word is, dynamic out in the outfield,” said Francona. “I can’t tell you how many times Carl Crawford’s come across in left field and taken away a hit and I’ve thought, ‘Damn.’ Any time you have the ability to put a centerfielder in left field, you’re going to be better. That’s what we’re doing.”

Ellsbury played the corner outfield positions for the Sox at times in 2007 and 2008, in place of Manny Ramirez. In those instances, when paired with Coco Crisp and Drew, he helped the Sox to have tremendous outfield coverage. The Sox, clearly, are hoping that he might have a similar impact in 2010.

“It came down to the fact that Cameron’s experience is almost exclusively in center and Jacoby demonstrated in 2007 and 2008 that he can be an impact corner outfielder defensively,” Epstein said via email. “We are more than comfortable with Jacoby in center. We just feel that — for now — this alignment puts us in the best position to win games. Both Mike and Jacoby were great about it and said they would do whatever was best for the team. Jacoby knows he’ll still be a centerfielder in the long run, and Mike looks forward to helping Jacoby any way he can.”

The idea of developing Ellsbury as a centerfielder will no doubt be more challenging, particularly the reads of the ball off the bat. Nonetheless, the Sox are hopeful that he will continue to improve at the position. If that happens, then in the long run, it is possible that at some point during Cameron’s time in Boston, the Sox could revisit the question of which outfielder is better suited for a corner and which one is superior in center.

Francona and Hale informed Ellsbury and Cameron of the decision by phone just before Christmas.

11 Comments for “Ellsbury to Play Left Field, Cameron in Center in 2010”

1. TimDogg Says:
   January 5th, 2010 at 6:55 pm

   That leaves Hermida/Drew in Right, both lefties, Lowell as a DH/bench player, and Bill Hall doing everything. I like Cameron as a defensive CF, but a lefty-righty platoon in RF would make more sense. Anyone else have an opinion?

2. peter Says:
   January 5th, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   idth it makes sense ellsburyhas speed but ohh well eitehr way its a great defensive outfield

3. Tony from Bridgewater Says:
   January 6th, 2010 at 8:00 am

   I understand that the Redsox needed to get better on defense, BUT this move to get Beltran here is over the top. With Cameron and Beltran we add another 100+ strikeout guys to our lineup. Between Ortiz, Cameron, Beltran, J.D. Drew and Yukolitz we have 5 guys that strikeout over 100 times a year. This might seem like it is not a big deal, BUT you talk about rally killers. Runners at 1st and 2nd and no one out we will SOON see that at least putting your bat on the ball is an important part of playing ball. Moving runners along and hitting behind the runners is as old as the game itself. I am all for defense BUT when we are projected to a mere 50 homeruns from our outfield we definitely need some power and more contact guys.

4. Nick Says:
   January 6th, 2010 at 8:50 am

   Tony, last year Mike Lowell struck out in about 2% fewer of his plate appearances than Beltre. To put it in perspective, over 600 PA, that’s a difference of about 12 strikeouts. For their careers, Beltre’s K% is 17.2, Lowell’s is 14.

   On a side note, Lowell also only walks in about 1% more of his PA than Beltre, for their careers. Yet for someone reason no one calls Lowell a hacker like they do with Beltre.

5. peter Says:
   January 6th, 2010 at 10:40 am

   beltre is very consistant lowell with his cancer problems made it very hard for lowell to do a lot of things he would of made it in the hall of fame if it wasnt for his cancer its sad

6. rich Says:
   January 6th, 2010 at 3:37 pm

   None other than the great Ricky Henderson has said that he would never have had the stolen base totals that he put up if he had played CF. Henderson, Crawford, Ichiro. Save his energy for offence, we’re gonna need it.

7. tom Says:
   January 7th, 2010 at 9:34 am

   ellsbury is more talented and has upside. Cameron is knocking on the nursing homes door. What do they think they are doing????

8. peter Says:
   January 7th, 2010 at 10:15 am

   i wander if ellsbury numbers will go up because idk why but some players numbers increase when they move from center to left

9. PJ Droney Says:
   January 7th, 2010 at 2:50 pm

   Hey Tony from Bridgewater, learn to read. Beltran isn’t coming to the Sox….not sure where you got that idea from. Wow.

10. peter Says:
    January 7th, 2010 at 9:40 pm

    its an easy mistake beltre beltan both similar names

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