SF Giants appear committed to defensive position with young outfielder

Wade Meckler recently returned to Triple-A after spending much of the season on the injured list. In five games with the Sacramento River Cats, Meckler has started three of those games in center field. This could be a sign that the club is committed to a premium position with the young outfielder.

SF Giants appear committed to defensive position with young outfielder

This would not necessarily be big news. However, this alignment does push Grant McCray to see a little extra time in right field. McCray is arguably the organization's best defensive center fielder and could be an option down the stretch, especially if the Giants are intent on protecting him from the Rule 5 draft in the offseason.

Perhaps, it is just an experiment and McCray will shift back to center field once it is over. The difference between Meckler and McCray at the moment is that the former is on the 40-man roster while the team continues to to struggle badly with center field defense.

The Giants are last in baseball with -9 Outs Above Average (OAA) in center field this season. And, they are in last place by a comfortable margin.

The Giants started the year with Jung Hoo Lee in center field before he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury. Heliot Ramos has taken over and the results have been rough to say the least. He has tallied -7 OAA in center field and the eye test matches this. It is hard to blame Ramos at this point.

The 24-year-old outfieler came up as a center fielder, but moved to right field as he progressed through the system. If the Giants saw him as a true center fielder, he would have stayed up the middle.

It is really not Ramos' fault at this point. The Giants should have had a more viable alternative to Lee but that is a conversation for a different day.

For the time being, they will try Meckler out in center field. He is an above-average runner with a passable arm, but those traits have not translated to competent defense. Outfield defense was an issue for him last year and it bled over into spring training as well.

Perhaps, this may be the only way for Meckler to be a major leaguer. The left-handed bat does hit for any power, so he does not profile as a true corner outfielder. He may not have the defense to profile as a center fielder either, but this might be more realistic than playing him in the corners.

Despite an excellent hit tool, Meckler does not offer much else offensively, so he will need to hit a lot to stick in the majors. Being able to handle center field would be another way for him to find playing time. It is a narrow path for him to becoming a major leaguer, but if he shows improvement on defense, that path opens up a little more. For the time being, the Giants seem willing to let him work through it in Sacramento.