FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Unless you’re a pitcher, it’s uncommon these days to see actual competition for a starting spot in Red Sox camp. Unless you believe the Sox seriously considered starting rookie Jose Iglesias at short in 2012 over Mike Aviles, the last genuine position battle came in 2008, when incumbent center fielder Coco Crisp was challenged by rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, the sensation of the previous fall’s postseason.
Seven years later, center field again could be up for grabs. With the corner spots committed to free-agent signee Hanley Ramirez in left and Shane Victorino (if healthy) in right, that leaves center to be contested by three candidates: Cuban import Rusney Castillo, rookie sensation Mookie Betts and defensive wonder Jackie Bradley Jr.
The inclination is to assume Castillo, based on the $72.5 million the Sox signed him for last August, has the inside track for the job, and that may indeed be the case. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Tuesday that he doesn’t believe Castillo, who hadn’t played in any games since 2012 until signing with the Sox, needs more playing time before he can perform every day on the big league level.
“That’s not an element we’re concerned with right now,” Cherington said. “He’s done everything we asked him to do from the day we signed him -- going to the minor leagues, big leagues, Arizona [Fall League], Puerto Rico [winter ball] and everything in between.
“He’s in a position now where he comes to spring training, we met with him, told him, ‘Just be a baseball player and try to get into some kind of baseball normalcy now.’ I don’t expect the number of at-bats he’s had over the last 10 months to be a factor.
“Normalcy is going to play out in spring training. He has a chance to be a really good major league player. We’re happy he’s here.”
But Cherington also extolled the virtues of Betts, a converted second baseman who hit .291 with 18 extra-base hits in 52 games over three stints with the Sox. He started 36 games in the outfield, 28 in center.
“We think he’s an exceptionally talented young player who does a lot of things well,” Cherington said. “Obviously, he’s shown the ability to make adjustments quickly, has an aptitude, has a chance to win games for a long time. That’s the kind of player we want on our side.
“We know what we think he can be. We’re really happy he’s here, and expect him to be here.”
The last candidate, Bradley, was supposed to start last season in Pawtucket but was recalled just before the season began, when Victorino blew out a hamstring. Bradley, who had just 549 at-bats above the Class A level, batted just .198 and was eventually sent back down, but he was also a finalist for a Gold Glove, winning raves for his defense.
Those raves continued Tuesday.
“He’s working to establish himself more as an offensive player,” manager John Farrell said. “In my mind, he’s the best center fielder in baseball. I’m not afraid of saying that. He’s an extremely talented guy. There have been some offensive challenges, but we don’t deny what he can do. And he can play center field as good as anybody.”
Farrell said he is encouraged by what he has seen from Bradley at the plate early in camp.
“It’s a more compact swing,” Farrell said. “He’s not looking to pull the ball or trying to lift the ball, as I might have seen last year. Jackie might disagree with that. But I saw a guy who tried to hit the ball in the air a little bit more. He’s back in the middle of the field. It’s more of a line-drive approach. It’s more to maybe his swing that’s natural to him.”
Bradley, who turns 25 on April 19, certainly sounded like a player who expects to have a chance to win a job.
“Confidence level has never been an issue for me,” he said. “Even on my toughest days, my confidence will never waver. Nothing but focus and determination from me. I just have to continue to do what I normally do. Head down and getting at it.”
All three outfielders still have minor league options, meaning they can be sent to Triple-A without being exposed to waivers. The Sox may well opt for a solution similar to the one they employed in 2008. Crisp played the majority of games in center field, but Ellsbury made 63 starts in center, 36 in left and 30 in right, appearing in 145 games overall. After that season, Crisp was traded to the Royals.
With Victorino’s age (34) and potential health concerns and Ramirez a newcomer to the outfield, it would seem the Sox could find frequent playing time for one of the center-field candidates off the bench. That would mean big league jobs for two of the three, with one going back to the minors.
The snag to that scenario: The Sox also have corner outfielders/first basemen Daniel Nava and Allen Craig fighting for playing time.
Cherington said the Red Sox have all spring to sort those things out. A trade remains a possibility, although Cherington said he envisions a scenario that all seven outfielders will still be with the organization when the season opens April 6.
“We see ourselves seeing what’s out there tomorrow,” Cherington said. “We don’t have to think about those decisions yet, so we’re not going to spend lot of time and energy on it. It gets in the way of what we need to accomplish this spring.”
A guess at this point: Castillo opens the season as the center fielder, Betts is the swing man and Bradley starts the season in Pawtucket. But the situation is an extremely fluid one. Good old-fashioned competition? May the best man win.