For much of this offseason, the Mets shied away from Yoenis Cespedes, in part, because they questioned if he was a full-time center fielder.
The numbers back up the concern. Among 42 players with at least 300 innings in center field last year, Cespedes ranked 33rd in defensive efficiency. By comparison, even in a down year on both sides of the ball, Juan Lagares ranked 13th.
Cespedes’ greatest defensive attribute — his powerful arm — means less in center than in the corner outfield. But now, at least against righty starters, Cespedes is the Mets’ primary center fielder, and if he hits as he did last year after his acquisition and position change, then the Mets will endure some defensive inadequacy.
Conversely, the Yankees gravitated to Starlin Castro because he changed positions last season. Castro became the Cubs’ primary second baseman on Aug. 11. He had a .592 OPS before being liberated from shortstop, and a .961 afterward — quite similar to Cespedes’ .942 as a Met.
Castro’s defensive efficiency also was poor — 31st out of 45 players with at least 250 innings at second. But the Yanks believe Castro’s youth, athleticism and growing familiarity with the position will lead to improvements.
After significant investments — the re-signing of Cespedes and the trade for Castro — both New York teams are gambling that these players can handle still relatively unfamiliar spots.
The risks of position change were exemplified last year when, for example, the Red Sox believed Hanley Ramirez could switch successfully to left field, and the Padres thought, no problem, Wil Myers can handle center. Both were disastrous, and yet look who leads our look at old faces in new positional places:
1. Ramirez/Myers
In their second seasons with their current teams, both are being asked to move from the outfield to become their club’s primary first baseman. Combined major league experience for them at first: 22 games by Myers last year.
Myers cost San Diego starter Joe Ross and shortstop Trea Turner — two big pieces of Washington’s future. Ramirez is in the second season of a four-year, $88 million pact. He is expected to replace David Ortiz as the Red Sox’s primary DH in 2017. For now he is one of the main faces of what went wrong with a 2015 Red Sox team that went from big expectations to last place.
To try to solve a problem inexpensively, the Pirates signed John Jaso to be their primary first baseman, though he never has started a game there in the majors. Jaso is a placeholder for touted prospect Josh Bell, who two years ago switched from right field to first base because Pittsburgh has such a stacked outfield.
2. Jason Heyward
He was the highest-paid position player in free agency (six years, $184 million) because of a well-rounded game, including excellence in right field. But for the Cubs, he will play center. Does his defense hold, and if not, does his value fall?
To create flexibility or a future option, the Cubs also are asking infielder Javier Baez to try center field.
3. Hector Olivera/Miguel Sano/Yasmany Tomas
Not long ago each was earmarked to play third base. Now each is moving to the outfield — Olivera to left, Sano and Tomas to right.
Each made his major league debut last year, but only Sano fulfilled a rep as a top-notch hitter— compiling a .916 OPS, mainly as a DH. That is why he is being asked to go to the outfield, so Minnesota can try to shoehorn in as many bats as possible.
The Diamondbacks were trying to do that by playing Tomas at third last year, but he did not handle the position well and his hitting lacked power. With Ender Inciarte gone, Arizona will use Tomas in the outfield full time, though his brief play in right was so poor last year, he might be moved to left. Arizona was an excellent defensive and baserunning team in 2015 and Inciarte was important to that — Tomas was not.
Like Tomas (six years, $68.5 million), Olivera (six years, $62.5 million) was a highly paid Cuban import. After moving him from second to third, the Dodgers traded him during last season to the Braves, who are moving him to the outfield hoping that will ease his mind and allow his offense to flourish. But the clock is ticking. He already is 30. The Indians saw the benefits of this last year when four months into the season they moved Lonnie Chisenhall from a struggling third baseman (.576 OPS) to a more productive (.771 OPS) right fielder.
4. Danny Espinosa
The Nationals are doing an infield facelift. After transitioning Ryan Zimmerman from a third baseman to full-time first baseman last year, Washington will alter second, short and third in 2016.
There is a lot of follow the bouncing ball, so stick with me here: Anthony Rendon, who came up a third baseman but played mainly second during an injury-derailed 2015, is moving back to third to replace Yunel Escobar, a shortstop who transitioned well to third last year but was traded to the Angels this offseason. Espinosa, a college shortstop who has played mainly second, is moving to short to replace Ian Desmond and open second for Daniel Murphy, who came up a third baseman but is now at second. Espinosa has just 47 career starts at short and is just a placeholder until Turner is ready.
5. Aaron Sanchez
In 2010, the Blue Jays used the 34th and 38th pick to address their rotation of the future, taking Sanchez and Noah Syndergaard. They dealt Syndergaard to the Mets for R.A. Dickey, and Sanchez has been so effective as a reliever that he has been limited to 11 starts. But with David Price gone, Toronto is going to try Sanchez in the rotation again, hoping he forms a long-term 1-2 with Marcus Stroman.