TAMPA — The easy way would be to use Alfonso Soriano as the full-time designated hitter and occasionally sprinkle Ichiro Suzuki into the outfield.
Yet, manager Joe Girardi noted Soriano, 38, likes to play the outfield. However, the minute Jacoby Ellsbury signed a seven-year, $153 million deal to switch sides in sports hottest rivalry, left field was no longer a full-time gig for Soriano, who has played more games there than anywhere else in the majors.
The addition of Ellsbury pushed Brett Gardner from center to left where Soriano played last year. And bringing in Carlos Beltran to play right closed out that position for Soriano, who has never played a game there.
So, how does Girardi get Soriano — and to a lesser degree, Ichiro — on the field?
“Sometimes it will depend on who we are facing how we decide to do it,’’ Girardi said prior to the Orioles-Yankees exhibition game Tuesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “I want him in the mix because I know he likes going in the outfield and it’s important to get him in the mix.’’
Soriano, who is expected to make his spring debut Thursday after being leveled by the flu since camp opened, said he could live with DH duty.
“I just want to be in the lineup. The DH, if I have to do it, it’s important to be in the lineup and help the team win,’’ Soriano said. “I have been practicing in right field and left field just in case. I am open to anything.’’
Of Soriano’s 1,908 major league games, 1,043 have been played in left field. He has played 761 at second, none in right and 35 times he has been the DH. Of course, from 2006 to halfway through 2013 Soriano worked in the NL where the DH was sparingly used in inter-league games played in AL parks.
A .289 hitter with nine homers, 27 RBIs and an OPS of .902 as the DH in 35 games proves Soriano hasn’t been a bust when his only responsibility was hitting.
Then there is Ichiro, a 40-year-old right fielder in terrific physical shape who won’t get regular playing time unless there is an injury. Considering he has 4,020 combined hits in Japan and the majors, is 258 away from 3,000 in Major League Baseball action and a Hall of Fame lock, asking him to accept a part-time role could be a challenge for Girardi.
“He is going to compete for playing time,’’ Girardi said of Ichiro, who remains a candidate to be dealt before the season is over. “This is a guy who has been a great player for a long, long time and has a lot of pride in what he does and I have a ton of respect for what he has done and what he has done now. We added some pieces and I can’t tell you exactly what the breakdown will be.’’
Ichiro isn’t the hitter he was in Seattle from 2001 to 2010 when he led or tied for the AL hits lead seven times.
“It’s not easy, you try to be as fair as you can,’’ Girardi said when asked how hard it is to use a player with Ichiro’s résumé in a part-time role. “You know you need 25 guys and more. You talk to him, tell him what you are thinking and try to prepare him for when he is going to play.’’