Taking a look at Adam Jones vs. Mike Trout for defensive stats:
Jones:
Innings in CF: 1450
Putouts: 438
Assists: 7
Errors: 8
Double Plays: 0
Fld Pct: .982
RF/9: 2.76
Defensive Runs Saved aboce average per 1200 innings: -13
dWAR: -1.3
Trout:
Innings in CF: 877.2
Putouts: 261
Assists: 2
Errors: 2
Double Plays: 1
Fld Pct: .992
RF/9: 2.70
Defensive Runs Saved aboce average per 1200 innings: 31
dWAR: 2.1 (includes additional 340 innings played in LF/RF)
This raises more questions than it answers.
Jones has a slightly higher putout rate in CF than does Trout. He has more assists than Trout. He has a higher range factor that Trout. Trout has fewer errors, as evidenced by his better fielding percentage. Overall, just looking at those raw numbers, one would not necessarily conclude that Trout is the better CF (other than the fewer errors). Jones seems to have more range, catches more balls, and has a better arm than Trout, at least based on these numbers.
Yet, the "Defensive runs saved" and dWAR stats seem to indicate that Jones is a defensive liability in CF, while Trout kicks *** in CF.
So now I question how meaningful dWAR really is. Because thse numbers don't really pass the smell test.