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Bradley Jr. will be Red Sox center fielder next season

Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Should Jackie Bradley Jr. find himself on the Boston Red Sox to start next season, he'll be patrolling center field.

The defensively gifted 25-year-old split time in all three outfield spots last season, but manager John Farrell confirmed on Tuesday that the plan is to have Bradley Jr. in center, Mookie Betts in right, and Rusney Castillo in left to start next season.

"Jackie is the best defending outfielder that we have, that's clear," Farrell told WEEI. "Whether it's to the naked eye, whether it's to any kind of measurement you want to put to it, Jackie's the best defender we have."

Farrell added that all three players are capable of playing center field, and that Betts will be relied on heavily in right field, especially at Fenway Park. The team attempted transiting Betts from center to right at the tail end of the last season, starting the 23-year-old in 11 games.

After back-to-back seasons of failing to translate his bat to the major leagues, Bradley Jr. inspired confidence in the front office after hitting .400/.457/.853 with seven home runs over a 29-game span late last season. He followed that up by slashing a miserable .147/.244/.279 with 22 strikeouts over his final 21 games, and Farrell said he's going to have to contribute on both sides to keep his name in the lineup.

"The key for Jackie is going to be, hit enough to be an everyday player, then he's our everyday center fielder," Farrell said.

Though Farrell has anointed Bradley Jr. the starting center fielder in November, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be around in March. President Dave Dombrowski is expected to be aggressive this offseason, and Bradley Jr. has already reportedly drawn interest from the Seattle Mariners.

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