Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp, snaring a fly ball hit by the Orioles’ Ramon Hernandez last season, has been great defensively for the Red Sox but has struggled at the plate.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Coco Crisp said yesterday that he would rather be traded than lose the starting center-field job to Jacoby Ellsbury. Eventually, he’ll get his wish.

It’s unlikely that Crisp will be dealt before the start of the regular season. For one thing, the Sox need Crisp to build up his value. For another, the market for center fielders hasn’t been entirely settled.

But the Sox want and expect that Jacoby Ellsbury will be their center fielder and leadoff hitter. Sometime in the next month, Ellsbury will be made the starter. And then, the clock will start ticking on Crisp’s Red Sox career.

Crisp can read the proverbial writing on the wall. The Sox went with Ellsbury last October in the World Series, then dangled him in trade talks for Johan Santana. As well as Crisp played last year in the field — he should have earned a Gold Glove for his play — he’s shown himself to be a limited offensive player.

Ellsbury is a more dynamic base runner, a better base stealer and clearly a more effective leadoff hitter. Crisp demonstrated in 2006 that he can’t hit at the top of the lineup.

Crisp didn’t offer any sort of angry “Play me or trade me” demand to the Sox yesterday. He merely stated the obvious.

He was reminded that his agent, Steve Comte, had said over the winter that his client would be better off somewhere else if he wasn’t going to play every day and asked if the same thinking still applied.

“Honestly, I think so,” said Crisp. “Because I want to play. Like I said, I wouldn’t be happy sitting on the bench. I think everybody wants to play every day; if you don’t, I think there’s something wrong with you.”

The Sox found some interest in Crisp during the offseason, but nothing that tempted them. Texas talked about catcher Gerald Laird, but the Sox feel Crisp’s value is higher.

They’re in an enviable position in that they don’t need to unload Crisp because of salary considerations and they don’t have any obvious, pressing needs. If the Sox had a specific hole, they might feel compelled to take less in exchange for him.

But the Sox can afford to be patient.

After a number of big-name center fielders — including Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter and Mike Cameron — signed free-agent deals over the winter, a few more remain. Venerable Kenny Lofton is still available, and so is Corey Patterson. Undoubtedly, some teams in need of outfield help would rather pay discounted salaries to desperate free agents rather than give up talent to get Crisp.

In time, a market will develop. Spring training will bring injuries and a number of teams planning to go with rookie center fielders (Florida and Cincinnati, to name two) may find that their prospects aren’t yet ready.

Other possibilities include Texas — where Josh Hamilton will be given a chance to win the job full-time, but must prove he can stay healthy and both Chicago teams. The White Sox insist newly obtained Nick Swisher can play the position, but there are doubts. The Cubs, meanwhile, want Felix Pie to win the job, but he struggled in part-time duty last year.

Then there’s Oakland, which traded two outfielders in the offseason (Swisher to the White Sox and Mark Kotsay to Atlanta). On paper, the Sox and A’s don’t match up, but already, there has been some internal discussion about packaging a top prospect with Crisp in an effort to land starter Joe Blanton.

As it stands, the A’s projected center fielder is Chris Denorfia, a 27-year-old who played at Division III Wheaton College, missed last season with Tommy John surgery and has played in 67 big-league games.

If Crisp isn’t going to beat out Ellsbury, he at least needs a strong spring if only to erase the memory of his late-season struggles. He hit just .161 (5-for-31) in the ALDS and ALCS last year with nine strikeouts and looked lost at the plate, paving the way for Ellsbury’s inclusion in the starting lineup.

The Sox said at the time that they were merely changing things in an effort to jump-start the lineup, but really, that was a regime change. The team is not about to reverse itself again. It serves Ellsbury no good in his development to play only occasionally and he has nothing to accomplish back at Triple A.

As for Crisp, the Sox don’t want or need a fourth outfielder making $4.75 million this year and $5.75 million in 2009.

That’s an affordable salary for a starting center fielder, however. Crisp will get his wish to play every day — just not for the Red Sox.

smcadam@projo.com