Darnell McDonald Worthy of Major League Job, But Where He Could Fit With Red Sox Still Unknown

For a simple analysis of Darnell McDonald's value to the 2010 Red Sox, look no further than the numbers.

McDonald did hit a solid .270 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 117 games. He also led the team with 12 sacrifice hits (nobody else had more than four), was second in triples with three, ranked tied for second with nine stolen bases and had a team-high nine outfield assists, six more than anyone else on the team. Of the 13 players in the American League to have thrown out that many runners from the outfield, just two played in fewer games than McDonald.

Consider the fact that McDonald was the only player on the Red Sox to play at least 30 games at each outfield position, and it's hard to argue that anyone on the team showcased more versatility in 2010.

For a more qualitative look at McDonald's impact, just listen to manager Terry Francona's words when McDonald was nearly designated from assignment on May 25 but was spared at the last instant the grinding wheels of Major League Baseball's transaction process when Jacoby Ellsbury suffered soreness in his side.

"I said, 'We're glad to have you back,'" Francona informed reporters after phoning McDonald to tell him he would not be DFA'd to make room for a returning Mike Cameron.

A former first-round pick, McDonald was waiting in a hotel room when he received that call, much like he was on April 21, when he was also stashed away in the event Ellsbury could not go that night against Texas at home. He couldn't, and a phone call summoned McDonald, who just hours later hit a game-tying homer and then a game-winning single.

Whether you look at McDonald's campaign with the eyes of a stat geek or through the lens of a romantic, it was a storybook season for the 31-year-old and it has given him every reason to claim a spot on the 2011 roster.

Unfortunately for McDonald, the Red Sox' outfield remains in a massive state of flux, with a question mark or a degree of uncertainty at every spot.

Ellsbury, of course, is coming back from a lost season. He's young and uberathletic, so a bounce-back season could be in the cards, but we will have to wait and see.

Cameron will be 38 and coming off a largely lost season of his own. His sports hernia surgery is not expected to debilitate him, but how much confidence will the club have in a guy on the definitive downside of his career?

Like Cameron, J.D. Drew is in the last year of a contract. He'll hit .270 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs in 134 games, or something like that, and then walk off into the distance, leaving right field a position of uncertainty.

Promising youngster Ryan Kalish is nearly ready for a full-time role, but at 23 and with a few things still to learn, he could begin the year in Triple-A.

Then there's the matter of the free-agent market, which will tempt the Sox in a major way with the likes of Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.

Essentially, if, how, when and where McDonald fits is up in the air. The dust will need to settle and some other decisions will need to be made. One thing is for sure — his 13-year odyssey through the minor leagues may have come to an end, at last.

Francona's comments again should suffice:

"He's probably finally got a shot to be a major leaguer," Francona said. "It's not like he's a one-and-done."

Each day of November, we will explore a different issue facing the Red Sox this offseason.

Nov. 4: Who should be the starting shortstop for the Red Sox in 2011?

Nov. 6: Will Red Sox fans embrace J.D. Drew in what could be his final year in Boston?