Joel Sherman is reporting this morning that the Yankees will announce that Curtis Granderson will be the starting center fielder. The Yankees had come to spring training open minded about the possibility of Granderson playing left and Brett Gardner manning center. They had both statistical data and late-season eyeball scouting to suggest Granderson had slipped defensively as a center fielder while believing that Gardner had a chance to be one of the rangiest center fielders in the game.Sherman goes on to say that the Yankees preferred not to move Granderson from center since he was their "key acquisition" this offseason and "wanted him to get comfortable as quickly as possible." According to Sherman, the Yankees are also concerned that Gardner won't be able to stay in the lineup as an everyday player, which would force them into the sticky situation of having to move Granderson back to center during the season.
And, early in camp, Granderson did give the Yankees concern by not looking especially effective in center, particularly in his penchant for taking awkward routes.
However, as camp has progressed, Granderson has played center better and better, well enough that the Yankees have not seen a significant gap between him and Gardner defensively. And in order to move the more established player off of his position, the Yanks were going to have to feel that Gardner was far superior in center to Granderson.
Like I said earlier in the spring, regardless of where Granderson and Gardner play, the team's outfield defense should improve greatly, so whichever way the Yankees went was fine with me.
