Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said that while nothing is imminent, the idea of playing third baseman Will Middlebrooks in the outfield has been "tossed around in some quarters."
"Well, it hasn't been a tabled discussion yet, so I don’t think it even has to enter his domain," Valentine told reporters prior to his team's game against the Royals Tuesday night in Kansas City. "That being said, I think he's a pretty –– again, small sample –– but my being around him is he's a pretty mature baseball guy. He's not going to be flustered by a lot of things."
Valentine went on to pass along his experiences regarding such a move, saying, "I've seen it not work. I tried some early on. Dean Palmers of the world, I don't know if you remember him. He's more fleet. He runs a little better than a lot of third baseman, which might give him a little upside. It's just a little different."
The manager did praise the defensive ability at third base shown by Middlebrooks, who did commit a throwing error during the Red Sox' 11-5 win over the Royals Monday night, his second error since joining the Sox. The 23-year-old, who spent his high school career as a shortstop, totaled a .933 fielding percentage with 16 errors between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2011.
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