SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The announcement came early in camp, and to the surprise of many: Ian Desmond would be Colorado’s starting center fielder. Bud Black’s tabbing of the 33-year-old veteran to roam the wide expanse at Coors Field was no doubt met with many raised eyebrows.

But if early returns are any indication, Desmond indeed looks like the right answer for Colorado in center. Through eight Cactus League games, he’s made a number of difficult plays in the gap while also demonstrating confident reads and routes on the ball.

“I think he looks good and he looks comfortable,” said fellow Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who moved from center to right this season. “He’s certainly athletic enough to play there, and I didn’t see any issues with him moving to center to begin with.

“Generally those (age concerns) wouldn’t be overblown for a center fielder, but for him, he’s a special guy. He’s incredibly gifted from a physical standpoint, so the age is nothing to worry about.”

Desmond, entering the third season of a five-year, $70 million deal, certainly still has offensive questions to answer after largely underperforming at the plate the last two seasons. He hit 22 home runs, drove in 88 and swiped 20 bases in 2018, but his average was .236, his 62.3% ground ball rate over the last two years is by far the worst in all of baseball and he’s struck out at a 23.5 percent clip in a Colorado uniform.

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But as Black emphasized, Desmond’s contributions are often “hard to quantify”, although the Rockies certainly hope to see quantifiable improvements with his glove in center, where Blackmon ranked in the bottom ten of all major league outfielders with a -8 outs above average last season.

“With Desi, statistically, one might say that last year was not his norm (offensively),” Black said. “But those of us who watch the game with a really critical eye can see the stolen base in a big spot; the clutch home run or three that he hit last year that won us games; a defensive play that might show up, or something that’s said in the dugout that helps another player.”

And while Desmond exudes a quiet but strong leadership presence in the clubhouse, his hustle on the diamond is something that even his most ardent critics have a tough time knocking. In that vein, Desmond said he’s unafraid to take the same all-out mindset to center, despite the inherent risks that come with throwing one’s body around in an outfield at altitude.

“At Coors, we’ve all seen games where a five-run lead isn’t enough,” Desmond said. “So taking plays off isn’t really the smart thing to do in Denver. I anticipate myself playing hard every pitch, and just working that much harder in the weight room and training room to take care of my body.”

As the center field starter in during his all-star campaign in Texas in 2016, Desmond posted a .971 fielding percentage, the lowest among big-leaguers at the position that season.

But Desmond said he’s grown a lot as a player since he arrived in Denver, and cited the culture of defensive versatility within the organization for helping him quickly re-adapt to the outfield. Overall, he’s played 133 games in center across three seasons in his ten-year MLB career.

“I feel confident in the fact that the people around me pushing me and teaching me are the right people,” Desmond said. “I’m learning a lot and I feel like I’m putting in good work every day. I’m excited to see if I can handle the challenge.”

And while the fanbase will likely hold out judgement until it sees Desmond chase down would-be doubles amid the spacious green swaths in LoDo, his impressions at his new position of old have already sold his teammates, including rotation ace Kyle Freeland.

“He’s got great closing speed and great instinct out there, plus a great arm obviously,” Freeland said. “And his mindset speaks for itself. I think he’s hungry to show everyone how well he can play out there this year.”