Desmond preparing for center-field duties in '19

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Rockies’ Ian Desmond devoted his winter to heavy work to prepare his legs for a move to center field. So Monday morning, he rested the legs and concentrated on his eyes and mind.

While prospect Yonathan Daza chased batting practice rockets, Desmond mostly stood and tracked where balls were going -- unless it was a soft fly right at him. Makes sense. At 33, Desmond needs to save his steps for when he needs them -- like in Sunday’s game, when he turned a grounder down the third-base line into a triple.

Believing Desmond could easily transition to center after playing left field and first base in his first two seasons with the Rockies, the club moved longtime center fielder Charlie Blackmon to right. Besides, Desmond was an All-Star in 2016 with the Rangers in center, where he had never played until the early part of that season.

All he needed was fair warning, which manager Bud Black gave him as last season ended. Desmond, in the third year of a five-year, $70 million contract joined several Major Leaguers at Athletic Edge, a Lakewood Ranch, Fla., center for professional and amateur athletes, with strength and conditioning coach Mike Gough and his staff.

“They worked us really hard, and I feel like my body is prepared for it,” Desmond said. “Watching Charlie go through it for the last few years, Charlie earned every bit of that [six-year, $108 million] contract that he got because playing out there in center field is not an easy task. I’m leaning on him, leaning on the training staff and the strength coaches to keep my legs in shape and try to do what we can.”

Desmond was a shortstop with the Nationals from 2009-15, and he earned an All-Star invite at the position in 2012. After not receiving the offers he expected, he signed with the Rangers, who had an opening in left, then took over center from a struggling Delino DeShields.

Among the Rockies, there is little doubt Desmond can handle the move to center, even with the expansive ground at Coors Field.

“I don’t really think he needs much help, because he’s a tremendous athlete, he runs incredibly well, he’s played there before and moving to center field is easier in the sense that you don’t have to deal with side-spin or angles,” Blackmon said. “It’s more athleticism. Assuming that you have the athletic ability to run fast enough to catch it, which he absolutely does, I think he’s just fine.”

Rockies manager Bud Black said, “He’s got that type of body -- the gift of a body that ages very well.”