It’s official.  The fake competition that we knew wasn’t really happening for center field is over.  Any idea who won?

Yes, you can exhale.  It was Gardner.  And apparently the decision is final.  So barring injury or poor performance on a regular basis, Melky will be relegated to fourth outfielder duty.

It was a combination of Gardner’s speed and–if I had to guess–waning trust in Melky that sealed the deal.  The two have been just about dead even offensively.  And Gardner’s arm certainly doesn’t hold a candle to Melky’s.  But never underestimate the importance of speed.  Or distrust.

Despite the letdown, Melky should stay on top of his game and be prepared to step up when the opportunity should arise.  It’ll happen; the fourth outfielder always gets some airtime.  So the best thing he can do is be ready to prove to everyone that spring training wasn’t a fluke–to offer a repeat performance.

With regard to Melky’s response, Girardi commented, “It’s hard not to be disappointed if you are a player who wants to play every day. Any player is going to be upset with that decision, that’s the competitive nature. But Melky is important to our team.”

Right.  And that’s why we were trying to trade him less than a week ago.