SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Late in one of the first full-squad workouts of the spring, Mauricio Dubon jogged out to center field and spent a few minutes running down line drives to the gaps. He looked like a natural, like someone who had spent his whole life patrolling center field. That's exactly what a Red Sox scout thought four years ago as he watched Dubon, then a 21-year-old shortstop, shag fly balls for fun.
Dubon was so fluid that day that he was told he would be playing center field in the Arizona Fall League. He made five starts there, along with a dozen at shortstop, before returning to the infield full-time the next season after a trade to the Brewers.