2007 Position Battle: NL Outfield

San Diego Padres (LF)

Candidates:
Terrmel Sledge
Jose Cruz Jr.

Edge: Terrmel Sledge--This is probably the 30-year-old Sledge's last chance. The former phenom has always crushed minor league pitching and then failed at the major league level. He's being given a chance to win the Padres left field job and leadoff spot and will almost certainly bat against righties no matter how he performs this spring. Sledge has already hit two homers in Cactus League action, which obviously bodes well in his competition against the eminently disappointing Jose Cruz Jr.. Given how bad Cruz has been for the last five years, it's almost laughable to think that he once hit 34 homers and stole 32 bases in the same season. The Padres hope he has enough pop left in his bat to play against tough left-handed pitchers and serve as the team's fourth outfielder. If both Sledge and Cruz go down in flames (which isn't all that improbable a scenario), slugging prospect Paul McAnulty could get a look.

St. Louis Cardinals (LF)

Candidates:
Chris Duncan
Preston Wilson

Edge: Chris Duncan--As the son of pitching coach Dave Duncan, Chris faced early skepticism about his midseason promotion to the big leagues last year, then silenced his critics by slugging 22 homers in just 280 at-bats; a pace which was better than Ryan Howard's during his 2005 Rookie of the Year campaign (22 in 312 at-bats). The obvious concern is that he can't possibly keep up that pace, and that he's generally seen as a defensive liability in left field. Duncan is definitely the front-runner, but veteran Preston Wilson is also in camp, and he'll likely backup all three outfield positions and could figure into the mix in left if Duncan falters.

Milwaukee Brewers (LF)

Candidates:
Geoff Jenkins
Kevin Mench

Edge: Geoff Jenkins--The Brewers will go to battle with Corey Hart in left and Bill Hall in center, which leaves a logjam in left field. Jenkins, who played poorly enough to be benched late last season, is the clear front-runner, but he'll have to prove he can hit against lefties (.133) to avoid a platoon with Kevin Mench (.301 vs. southpaws last year). Jenkins also been the subject of trade rumors and told the team he'd rather be dealt than accept a less-than-full-time role, so this situation could get ugly in a hurry. Barring a complete collapse, however, Jenkins figures to get the lion's share of at-bats in left for the Brew Crew.

Chicago Cubs (LF)

Candidates:
Matt Murton
Cliff Floyd

Edge: Matt Murton--The nonsensical addition of Cliff Floyd is the only reason there's a competition here at all. Murton is still slated to get most of the at-bats in left field, but could sit at times against right-handed starters. Murton hit over .300 in the second half last season and has a decent combination of power and speed, so those who had him penciled in as a sleeper are cursing Floyd's name – if they weren't already unhappy with the erstwhile slugger's injury problems. This job is Murton's to lose, but there is a very real danger of a platoon situation developing, which wouldn't be good for anybody.

Houston Astros (RF)

Candidates:
Luke Scott
Jason Lane

Edge: Luke Scott--The offseason trade of Willy Taveras really opened things up for Scott. A once-crowded outfield is now essentially set, with Scott facing a token competition with Jason Lane in right field. Scott had a huge second half last year, batting .336 with 10 homers and 37 RBI in just over 200 at-bats. Unless Lane (who hit .201 in 2006, a year after crushing 26 homers) suddenly resurrects his career, Scott should open the season as the starting right fielder and maintain the spot as long as he continues to produce.

Pittsburgh Pirates (CF)

Candidates:
Chris Duffy
Nate McLouth

Edge: Chris Duffy--The Bucs' offseason acquisition of Adam LaRoche gave them a lot more flexibility in the outfield, where Xavier Nady is now expected to open the season in right field. In center, the job has essentially been handed to Duffy, but he'll have to produce to maintain his position. A hot spring by Nate McLouth could spell trouble for Duffy, which would in turn spell disaster for fantasy owners who support Duffy as a sleeper. He proved late last year (.282, 23 stolen bases in 53 games in August and September) that he is capable of setting the table at the top of the lineup, but consistency has never been his forte, so fantasy owners should monitor his progress this spring before jumping onto the bandwagon.


Florida Marlins (CF)

Candidates:
Reggie Abercrombie
Cody Ross
Eric Reed

Edge: Reggie Abercrombie--Put simply, this one's a mess. And quite frankly, it may not matter much who actually wins the job since that player is unlikely to hold the job all season anyways. Super-sub Alfredo Amezaga spent a lot of time in center field last year (75 games), but the team would prefer to keep him as an uber-utility guy in the infield. To do so, they're hoping and praying someone will emerge from a group that includes Abercrombie, Cody Ross, and Eric Reed. Abercrombie manned center field 86 times a year ago and proved by striking out 78 times in 255 at-bats and batting just .212 that he may never be able to take advantage of his promising power and speed. Ironically, his chief competition for the job – Reed – has exactly the opposite problem. Namely, he's a .300 hitter with very little else going for him. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has already said that Ross will be one of his backup outfielders (along with Joe Borchard), and that the loser of the Abercrombie vs. Reed "battle" will likely be sent back to the minors. Good times.

Washington Nationals (LF)

Candidates:
Ryan Church
Alex Escobar
Chris Snelling

Edge: Ryan Church--Nook Logan and Austin Kearns are relatively safe in center and left field for the Nationals, but left field is a logjam of mediocrity (which is to imply that Logan and Kearns are somehow above the level of mediocrity). At any rate, the leader in the clubhouse is Church, who has yet to duplicate the success he experienced in 2005 in his first prolonged look at the major league level. He quickly fell out of favor after a bad start last year, but got another chance after Alex Escobar's shoulder injury ended his season in September. Escobar has loads of talent, but has simply never been able to stay healthy. He will be limited to DH duties early in the spring and will need to prove he's healthy to have any shot of landing a starting spot. Chris Snelling, acquired in the deal that sent Jose Vidro to the Mariners in the offseason, is also a highly-regarded prospect who's had a lot of trouble staying healthy. He can hit for average and get on base, which could make him a candidate for the top of the Nationals batting order if he wins the job. At this point, the winner of this battle is any one's guess.
Source: Fanball.com