The following is the fourth in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com
examining each Major League club, position by position. Each week
until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position.
Today: Outfielders.

BOSTON -- It seems there is just one certainty when it comes to the
Red Sox's starting outfield for 2008, and that is that Manny Ramirez
will rake. Ramirez always rakes. That is the truest definition of
Manny being Manny.

But move to center field and you have the exciting youngster (Jacoby
Ellsbury) trying to overtake the recently underachieving veteran (Coco
Crisp).

Then, there is the right fielder (J.D. Drew) who performed well below
expectations in his first season in Boston.

As flighty as Ramirez can be, he is the rock of Boston's outfield.
This will be his eighth season as the team's starting left fielder. It
is also the end of the eight-year, $160 million deal that former
general manager Dan Duquette signed him to.

But that doesn't necessarily mean this is the end of the road for
Ramirez in Boston. The club holds $20 million options on him for 2009
and '10.

At one point, it might have seemed a reach that the Red Sox would even
consider picking up the options. However, the market has spiked in
recent years. If Ramirez can regroup from a less-than-spectacular 2007
season and get back to his .300-35-100 norm, the option seasons might
look pretty appealing to the Red Sox.

For whatever reason, Ramirez couldn't get into a sustained groove
during the regular season. But when the clock turned to October, he
regained his vintage form, hitting .348 with four homers and 16 RBIs.

Though Ramirez is prone to a few blooper-reel plays a year on defense,
he is a better left fielder than people think. In particular, Ramirez
has become a master at handling the Green Monster. And he also has a
quick release and an accurate arm.

As for center field, could the Red Sox have an actual position battle
on their hands this spring? In past years, the lineup has mostly been
set entering Spring Training.

But if Crisp isn't traded, there could indeed be a fierce competition.
Sure, Ellsbury won everyone over with the way he performed last
September and October. Does that guarantee he is ready to do it for a
full season?

Crisp's bat has been a disappointment in his two years in Boston, but
his defense was phenomenal in 2007.

"We're in a good position to have two quality center-field options on
the roster, and we'll see what comes of it," Sox general manager Theo
Epstein said earlier in the winter. "We certainly wouldn't be opposed
to having both guys in camp. It takes more than three outfielders to
get through the season. Maybe it will develop into a competition."

Should Crisp win his job back, it will be because he regains his
ability to jump on fastballs.

If Ellsbury emerges as the starter, he offers the Red Sox a speedy
gap-to-gap hitter. Offensively, the biggest question mark surrounding
him is power.

Defensively, Ellsbury isn't quite Crisp, but he's not far off.
Ellsbury has well-above-average range, but is still learning the
opposing hitters. His instincts, already solid, will only improve
through time.

The most positive thing about Drew entering this year is the way he
finished last year. His grand slam in Game 6 of the American League
Championship Series was as big as any hit the Sox had in the entire
postseason.

After hitting .270 with 11 homers and 64 RBIs in 2007, Drew can only
improve this year. Perhaps it was the adjustment of playing in Boston,
and in the American League, that made it such a tough year for him.

One thing Drew does extremely well is play defense. In essence, he is
a center fielder playing right field.

Bobby Kielty, who hit a crucial home run in Game 4 of the World
Series, is still in limbo. The free agent is still monitoring the
Crisp situation before deciding if he will return. If Crisp is traded,
Kielty would find more than enough at-bats to make him happy.

Source: Ian Browne / MLB.com