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2016 AL East Rankings by Position: Left Field

By Nate Wardle

Sep 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Corey Dickerson (6) RBI singles in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Corey Dickerson (6) RBI singles in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 16, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Rusney Castillo (38) hits the ground after fouling the ball off during the 11th inning against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 16, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Rusney Castillo (38) hits the ground after fouling the ball off during the 11th inning against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Boston Red Sox – Rusney Castillo, Chris Young, Brennan Boesch

I was so certain that Castillo would be a force last year for Boston that I drafted him for my eventual championship winning fantasy baseball team. I figured he would only be in the minors a few weeks. Well, then he struggled, and got hurt, and part of his season was lost. The 28-year-old did get to the majors, and played in 80 games for the Red Sox.

Castillo hit .253/.288/.359 with 5 HRs, 10 2Bs, 29 RBIs, 35 runs. He did strike out 54 times compared to only 13 walks. Not bad numbers for a guy who has not played many games in the majors, but not very good when you consider he was paid over $10 million last year. He also had a negative oWAR in 2015.

However, his dWAR was a 1.4, despite committing five errors in the outfield and finishing with a .969 fielding percentage, which is pretty bad for an outfielder. That was the fourth-most errors by an outfielder, coming from a part-time player.

A recent article in Masslive.com says that the Red Sox are set to give left field to Castillo. They also state that he has worked to shorten his swing. Finally, the article compares him to a few other players, including Quinton Berry, Joey Butler, and Christian Yelich. Needless to say, if his ceiling ends up being Yelich, it is another bad use of money by the Red Sox.

Chris Young comes over from the Yankees to be the backup, and despite his increasing age, could play an important role for the Red Sox in 2016 as a utility outfielder. The potential from Castillo keeps the Red Sox in third, but now it is time for performance.

Next: It might be this guy ... or the other guy...

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