Jacoby Ellsbury in Left Signals Red Sox’ Change in Philosophy

Can you move a little to the left, Jacoby?

From Ted Williams to Carl Yastrzemski to Jim Rice to Mike Greenwell to Manny Ramirez to Jason Bay, left field at Fenway Park has always been occupied by guys who carry a big bat.

Now it's taken up by Jacoby Ellsbury, a speed demon unlike anything the franchise has seen in its long history. As much as anything else that occurred this offseason, it is that shift which signals the Red Sox' desire to transform their roster into a superior one defensively.

For it was this yearning to improve on defense that caused the club to obtain Gold Glove-winning center fielder Mike Cameron and push Ellsbury to left field.

The shuffle led to a massive breakdown of defensive metrics and debates over whether a 37-year-old journeyman is a suitable replacement for a 26-year-old with his own collection of highlight-reel catches in center.

Both general manager Theo Epstein and skipper Terry Francona have said that Ellsbury is a good center fielder with the potential to be great. They figure that watching the way Cameron does it can only help, and Ellsbury is no stranger to left field anyway, having played 80 games in his career there and several more at the minor league level.

"I felt comfortable," he recently said of his stints in left at Fenway. "It's something that's a little bit different … than any other ballpark. I think it will be a smooth transition, but at the same time they've said I'll play a little center field, too."

The debate may end up being nothing more than hot air. Both players should do just fine, and with the acquisition of Jeremy Hermida, Francona has plenty of flexibility in the outfield when the club faces tough right-handers. Hermida hits righties well while Cameron does not, and shifting Ellsbury to center for a day here and there will simply give the Red Sox a chance to play the percentages.

Of course, that leaves Ellsbury as the one constant in the lineup. While he may be replaceable at an outfield position, he is not at the plate.

His team-record 70 steals aside, Ellsbury made significant offensive strides in 2009, many of which are indicators of long-term success. In 70 more at-bats than he had in 2008, Ellsbury cut down on his strikeouts. His average and slugging percentage both jumped 21 points, his on-base percentage rose a solid 19 points.

And if you need evidence that Ellsbury can roll with the punches, again we can turn to the offensive side of things.

After he was banished to the seventh spot in the lineup for parts of June and July, Ellsbury made a return to the leadoff role look easy. In roughly 70 games after the switch back, he hit .310 and drew more than half of his season total of 49 walks.

A little move to the left won't mean much.

Other options: Hermida and Bill Hall are the immediate fill-ins if and when the Red Sox need a replacement, but neither brings what Ellsbury does offensively. For that you might need to look within the farm system, where rising star Ryan Kalish awaits.

Kalish, 21, is not major league ready yet, but he has leadoff potential and is the kind of athlete that turns heads, a la Ellsbury. In 103 games at Double-A Portland last year, Kalish smacked 13 homers and stole 14 bases. He projects more as a center fielder that may slide in alongside Ellsbury someday, but he may get a look if the Red Sox need someone to fill a DL void.

If all else fails: Well, you can hope for Tampa Bay to tank this season and get in on the bidding war for Carl Crawford. One of the best left fielders in the game, Crawford is entering a contract year and could be the cream of a pretty good free-agent crop next offseason.

Considering he would be leaving Tampa Bay and likely shunning New York to come to Boston, such a move — if necessary — could tilt things in the A.L. East in Boston's favor.

If you want to dream big, think of Crawford as a trade deadline acquisition after Ellsbury is moved to get someone like Adrian Gonzalez. Talk about a shakeup.

If none of this is even possible, Johnny Damon is signed for just a year in Detroit and Manny Ramirez said he won't return to the Dodgers next season. I'm just saying.

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NESN.com will be previewing the 2010 Red Sox by position.

March 9: Center field