Pending free-agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was a trade candidate for the Red Sox leading up to the deadline, but he didn’t move and will stay with the out-of contention club until at least the end of the season. It turns out that the Red Sox were willing to entertain proposals for Bradley, but they didn’t receive any offers that convinced them to deal him, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.
With the Red Sox sure to miss the playoffs, Bradley could be in his final month as a member of the franchise, which drafted him 40th overall back in 2011. The Red Sox do have interest in keeping the 30-year-old Bradley in the fold past 2020, though, according to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
“We’d love to have him here for a long time,” Bloom said.
For his part, however, Bradley said Wednesday that the Red Sox haven’t expressed interest in a new deal to him, and he expects to reach the open market in a couple months, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe relays.
“I made it this far. Might as well become a free agent,” Bradley stated.
Unfortunately for Bradley, if he does reach the open market, it appears he’ll enter it on the heels of a lackluster platform year. High-end offense hasn’t often been a calling card for Bradley since he debuted in 2013, but the 80 wRC+ he has posted across 117 plate appearances this season ranks among the worst of his career. In all, Bradley has batted .248/.316/.352 with two home runs.
To Bradley’s credit, he has typically combined passable offense and above-average defense, so he should be in line for a guaranteed contract prior to 2021. It’s anyone’s guess whether that payday will come from the Red Sox, however.
I hope he stays even if he bats low. I admit I really enjoy his play in CF, a joy to watch. I hope the RS MB management makes him a SINCERE offer, and not just empty words.
He comes back and it’s half, or less than the 11m he’s currently making and only 1-2y at most. I don’t see Boras eating that much crow to return to same team and “losing” that much money, unless JBJ tells him to, but moving to another team for about those same figures and contract length..
Like all contracts, it depends on $$ and years. Problem with JBJ is he doesn’t have the bat to move full-time to RF when he loses another step or two. Two years at most is all I can see any team offering and he’ll probably choose one year with a player option.
Yes…..too much pride to return to the Red Sox for 2 years at $4 million per year, so he will take the same money elsewhere…..I would rather have Pillar anyway. Maybe the Red Sox can resign he as a complement to Duran who will be up by mid-year if not sooner. I have watch him a lot in the Sim Games at Pawtucket which have been available online and he looks great…5 home runs and a lot of power in addition to great defense.
I haven’t seen Duran play yet. Does he look good?
PAY HIM! This kid is a true ballplayer. JBJ honestly reminds me of Ryan Braun if Ryan Braun was a good fielder and was a worse hitter. Can’t imagine many teams wouldn’t want a guy like that.
So what you’re saying is he’s nothing like Braun, considering you stated he’s the opposite of Braun in the two majors facets of baseball. Lol
That’s not at all what I’m saying. When I look at Ryan Braun and Jackie Bradley, I immediately think, “That’s a ballplayer”. Not to mention that 2016 Bradley rivaled any season Braun has ever had.
There are plenty of players who have the same abilities and fit that description that you could compare him to instead, but hey, that’s your opinion. They are nothing alike in terms of play style, approach, performance, and personality, though.
come on people find some similarities. One bats left and the other bats right, one is black the other isn’t.
We get it. It’s the uniform. You look at a random guy wearing a baseball uniform and say, “hey, that’s a ballplayer!”
Reality is, you pay a guy for what he’s shown he is still able to do, then deduct years/value for anticipated declines.
Manny Ramirez was a ballplayer for years. Did great things in boston.
Should HE be signed by the red sox as well? He’s looking for a MLB deal and playing overseas.
Bring back Jackie, but short years and low value. Boras will want heyward years and dollas as the comp.
Braun’s career OPS is 55 points higher than Bradley’s best season.
Bradley has had two seasons with an OPS over .726. Braun has never had one under .777, and has had nine over .850.
I am a Cubs fan. I hate Ryan Braun with every cell in my body, and you have made me defend him.
I will never forgive you for this…
Hahahahaha haha
So he’s like if Ryan Braun wasn’t Ryan Braun? I don’t understand this analogy.
4th outfielder
He is like jank with a World Series ring
You couldn’t be more wrong. How could you say that about one of the most clutch playoff hitters of the 21st century? The ALCS MVP trophy speaks for itself
Bro I am a Sox fan and you are reeeeally forcing it lol
Sox34 I am a Red Sox fan… but comparing him to Ryan Braun is laughable. Also his 2016 season does not compare to multiple seasons when Ryan Braun was one of the best players in baseball and won an MVP.
Bradley also does deserve credit for his performance in the 2018 ALCS, but one of the most clutch playoff hitters of the 21st century?!?! LOL come on man
And Ryan Braun got busted for PEDS. How good was he without them?
Can’t compare the two. One cheated the game…
Jbj isn’t playoff clutch. He’s an occasionally streaky hitter who got hot in a tiny moment and, in that moment, was valuable.
Sox gave made plenty of playoff appearances since JBJ joined the team. You know what JBJ’s lifetime postseason line is?
3 years in postseason, 2016-2018. Hit .185/.303/.400 slash. 76 plate appearances. 12hits. 4hr. 9walks. 22strikeouts.
In that 2018 ALCS MVP? He hit 3-for-15, just so happened he got lucky and hit 2 hrs.
Two rings, thank you.
@sox34 Braun is a terrible person and a cheater…..
This is the worst comparison between two players that I have read on this site. Lmao
WHAT!?!? Haha how does he remind you of Ryan Braun… like what’s the point of saying someone is like player X except better defense and worse offense… that literally means he’s nothing like the player being compared to. To me personally he reminds me of LeBron James, except he plays baseball, is a foot shorter and bats left handed…
This has to be one of the worst comments I’ve seen on this site. One guy has been an mvp and an all star multiple times. The other goes on a tear and inflates his stats for 2-3 weeks a year, then outside of that is one of the worst hitters in baseball.
There is 0 chance the redsox gives him a QO because his bat can’t be found. So why not trade him if a offer comes in. So either it was a PTBNL that stinks or no trade offers at all came in. He is one of the most over rated payers in baseball.
The deadline is passed… it’s too late to trade him. But I echo your sentiment… unless they really are wholeheartedly planning on brining him back next year — idk why they didn’t just trade him for ANYTHING before the trade deadline. I mean with or without him this teams not going anywhere — so why hang onto an impending FA for no reason?
Even if they are wholeheartedly planning on bringing him back next year they should have traded him. Trading him doesn’t mean they can’t bring him back.
Maybe in the world of COVID, he asked not to be moved, given his tenure with the club, the team obliged as a matter of respect and now both sides are keeping things quiet. Just my take.
Well that’s ridiculous. Baseball is a business, not a charity. And there’s no guarantee that he’s going to “respect” the Red Sox by taking a discount to stay there no matter what they do.
As I posted around the deadline, don’t forget optics and Henry’s social justice initiatives like removing Yawkey’s name from things.
*JUST* before the deadline, the red sox cancelled a game against TOR. This because JBJ (Boston’s ONLY african American player on the major league team) walked in roenicke’s office , without medical issue, and said he wouldn’t play to protest the latest police shooting/BLM issue.
Team held a meeting, and, voted to say they wouldn’t play the game after half a dozen other clubs previously said so.
Now, do you not think a possible narrative from trading him would be ‘oh, that’s retribution ?’ And that narrative seems stronger if he’s swapped for a figurative bucket of balls with most of his deal paid down?
It’s equally likely they’re looking for off season goodwill. But don’t discount the optics of potential racism claims, remembering Boston with its ‘history’ that other AA players have alleged.
Also, JBJ wouldn’t return a serviceable OF in a trade. He just wouldnt. So who do you stick out there? Peraza? Lin? You going to get JDM hurt playing everyday OF? Only other guy listed as OF on the 40 man is wilson
Part of being a good GM is not caring about “optics” or “goodwill” or whatever other obtuse words you choose to throw at me.
You’re really grasping for the straws with the “trading JBJ is retribution” narrative. Most non-contending teams trade away their pending FA’s. Are those trades also “retribution?”
“… but they didn’t receive any offers that convinced them to deal him…” implies that the Red Sox did get offers but chose not to trade him anyway. They should have just taken whichever one they hated the least, as it would have had more value to the Red Sox than one month of JBJ.
“So who do you stick out there?”
The same guy you stick out there next year when JBJ is gone.
Who cares. This guys name has been in and out of trade rumors for years. No one cares anymore.
Why wasn’t JBJ traded. Was Boston demanding a lot of top prospects like Texas for Lynn
Honestly I have no idea. Nor do I care. He’s a solid CF but not much else. Reminds me of Aaron Hicks without the injury woes. They hype him up tho like he has so much trade value and yet they never dealt him.
Hicks is great but JBJ covers more ground. That said, Hicks’ bat when healthy is far better or so it seems. Bottom line is Hicks should sleep well with that contract whereas JBJ has to worry about his next deal (still sleeping well).
It doesn’t take much to have a better bat than Bradley. Every year he has a stretch of a few weeks of being Mickey Mantle, then goes back to being the worst hitter in baseball
Bloom learned to lie pretty convincingly in Tampa. JBJ’s gone. It’s too bad; guy’s always been a great complimentary piece. But this edition of the Sox needs more than just complimentary pieces.
Problem is a complimentary piece is a bench guy or middle reliever. Your every day center fielder should not be a complimentary piece.
Gary Pettis Jr
At least Pettis could get on base at a respectable rate (.333) compared to Bradley (.317).
At least Pettis could steal bases
I’m predicting either Philly or Cleveland.
Let Jackie Walk. Duran is the future
Agreed
Duran tore up class A ball. But in 82 games last season in AA only hit .250.
There’s still things for him to work on, and not only in a simulated game setting.
I expect we see him spend most, if not all, of 2021 in the minors finishing development. If he opens with a hot month or two in AAA (assuming they don’t open him on AA ball) maybe you see him midseason next year.
Like I said, he’s still got things to work on and needs to earn CF, even if it’s his for the taking at the moment.
JbJ on a 1-2 year deal, around 5m per, takes that pressure off and gives a late inning defensive upgrade/4th OF.
If you have watched any of the Sim games from Pawtucket this year you would know there is zero chance of Duran opening in AA in 2021. He will be in AAA at most a couple months before being added to the Red Sox roster and starting every day. He is that good.
Casas could also be in the MLB at some point in 2021. He has looked that good and Dalbec and Chavis have looked that bad…..
It’s not like they will give him a qo bc he would take it
They should have gotten what they could with him
Unless they want to bring him back on a $2-5M 1-year deal….it may be more beneficial for the Sox to keep than trade him for a minimal prospect
@mcmillankmm they could have still brought him back even if they had traded him. If the Yankees can do that with Chapman the Red Sox should have no problem doing it with Bradley.
That’s a bad comparison tbh. The yanks were willing to pay gobs of money, more than any other team. The Red Soxs just aren’t, nor should they.
@Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA if that’s the case he probably won’t stay even with them holding onto him.
Chapman is a bad comparison. He was top of his game and a fairly elite talent. NY said they’d pay whatever it took to bring him back.
JBJ works with Boras. If you’re not prepared to (over)pay with his clients, don’t expect to set your roster until ST. Or beyond.
Put another way, JbJ is not a sign at all costs player, the talent isn’t there.
@AtlSoxFan…
“JBJ works with Boras. If you’re not prepared to (over)pay with his clients, don’t expect to set your roster until ST. Or beyond.”
That will still be the case even without trading him away.
“Put another way, JbJ is not a sign at all costs player, the talent isn’t there.”
Exactly, he’s not a player the Red Sox should be worried about getting priced out of their range.
The Red Sox obviously saw more value in keeping him than the bucket of balls other teams were offering. As it is Peraza and Lin are alternating starts this year and Bradley would be a useful 4th or platoon outfielder for next year.
@4WSsince04…
“The Red Sox obviously saw more value in keeping him than the bucket of balls other teams were offering.”
Yeah, they were wrong. They’ve been wrong before and they’ll be wrong again.
“… and Bradley would be a useful 4th or platoon outfielder for next year.”
No he would not! They don’t have him for next year.
I think he signs in Kansas City. Dayton Moore loves him and tried to get him a few years ago. That would allow Whit Merrifield to go back to second base where he belongs.
Yeah I think KC fits him perfectly
I’d offer him in the neighborhood of $25-30/4. I think he’ll perform as well as he always has for another 4-6 years. He’s a guy with good character and a positive clubhouse presence. If I were the Sox, I’d want to keep him around through this next generation’s development.
I say Mets pay him a new contract
$7.5m/per on a 4 year deal is too much for a weak hitting 4th OF who only keeps what .BA he does by being streaky.
If you look early in his career, after tearing apart AAA pitching JbJ hit worse than he does now if he didn’t play every day. There’s years-long evidence where they tried it early on.
I question how well what bat he has holds up as a 4th OF, and we know he’s not a good PH type.
1 or 2 year deal, or, another team is likely outcome. Boston probably wants to offer a short team deal to let him try to earn a better final FA contract. Buy minor league development time for the team. Win for both sides.
I’d be offering him a one year deal tops with a vesting or a mutual option.
Definite ball player. He’s kind of like Wade Boggs if Wade Boggs hit lower average and played an entirely different position in another era.
So they’re gonna QO him then?
There’s no chance they offer him a QO… he’d undoubtedly take it and then they’d be stuck with a guy who hits .240 for $17.5-$18.5M — that would be awful!
They basically have to. Otherwise what was the point of not trading him for something?
They won’t qualify him.
Then why didn’t they trade him? And you better not say “Because they want to sign him long-term.”
I’m not really sure id say he’s entering FA on a bad platform year… I’m not saying it’s a good one either BUT… his numbers are more or less within his typical ranges… so it’s not like he’s having a “down year” which is what that statement implies. Maybe he’s hitting for a little less power than usual (though he did hit a HR tonight! Haha) but otherwise his “platform season” is more or less his career average season. He’s either going to be in for a rather rough FA where he winds up making A LOT less than he did this year — or some team(s) out there REALLY value his defense and are going to overpay for it. He has shown flashes of offensive ability in the past, and I do think he’s a better hitter than he has been lately — but at this point and given his age… his more “complete offensive seasons” might never come to fruition
He is from Richmond Virginia. The 2 closest teams are Baltimore and Washington. Perhaps a minor league contract with one of them next year or Atlanta which is closest to where he played his college ball.
He’ll sign with the team that pays him the most
Wow! That’s a bold prediction. Did you come up on that all by yourself?
Might not be bold but it’s more likely than him signing with a team just because it’s close to his hometown or where he went to college. Leave the sarcasm to people who are good it.
Battle of the Jims. It’s a jimboree
Sure. I was throwing a few teams out there that makes sense on more than one level. Money isn’t everything.
It’s the only thing.
Wouldn’t pay more than $5 mill a year plus performance incentives to keep JBJ. He’s been ungodly streaky his entire MLB career, he was just lucky he hit a hot streak during the 2018 ALCS and had a few timely hits. Overall he’s no better than a No.7 batter on ANY contending team. IF he was on a team with a loaded lineup like the 18 SOX or the current Dodgers and now Padres, his defense would make him valuable enough to keep, but again the lackluster offense makes him expendable for the Red Sox.
Bloom should let him go JBJ at his point won’t show anything more than what he already is.
I don’t think he returns. Just my prediction.
If Red Sox have no plans to bring him back then why did they not trade him and at least get something
And get what, exactly?
At this point trade him for anything. Your farm system was depleted to win a WS. Something the Yankees should do. Problem Cashman keeps saying his job is too win Championships not a Championship. Yankees need to win one first. Both Cubs and Red Sox depleted the farm system to win a WS and neither one has any regrets.
That did not answer my question. I will ask it again.
Trade JBJ for what, exactly?
I’m not a Sox fan you tell me. What are your team’s biggest needs. Getting something anything is better than him leaving for nothing especially if you have zero interest bringing him back.
Hey Wild Bill, not sure if you know, but no one here knows “exactly” what the Red Sox should get for Bradley. I mean, Pillar was traded, and we still don’t know “exactly” what the Red Sox got for him. Poing being if the Red Sox aren’t bringing Bradly back, getting something for him wouldn’t be a bad idea. Even if we don’t know “exactly” what that would be.
Curtis, nobody knows exactly what the Red Sox could get and that was the point I was driving home. Let’s take a really hard look at JBJ; Red Sox would have to eat the salary and get a nothing player. That is why he wasn’t dealt. That is the best we could analyze by taking an honest look at JBJ. Because we have no idea. That shows you how far the fall has been for JBJ.
Red Sox also may not have wanted to start the clock on some young guys at this point. Or call up Rusney.
Even if they do plan to bring him back they should have traded him. Trading him doesn’t mean they can’t bring him back (see A. Chapman)
Again, trade him for what? What if the Red Sox did not want to bring up a young OF who should be in AA or AAA right now? What if they want said OF for 1 more year of control, and keeping JBJ allows that?
I do not care what Boston wants to do this offseason. Keep him, let him walk, whatever. This narrative that Boston should have traded him is absurd considering how little JBJ has contributed at the cost. Boston kept the guy they would have paid to leave anyway in-exchange for a nothing minor league player.
“Again, trade him for what?”
Lottery ticket and salary relief. Next question.
If they weren’t going to get anything of value, why bother trading him. You don’t need to trade every last person that’s going into free agency. He’s a great fielder, and that’s where it stops for him. He barely qualifies as streaky as he has 1 or 2 “streaks” a year to balance out the rest of the “meh” that he puts up at the plate.
The problem with JBJ is they should have non-tendered him at the start of the season. Since they didn’t do that, and they aren’t playing for anything at this point, they might as well let him go out there in hopes of him making some more highlight-reel catches before they let him walk away in free agency. He’s done in Boston after this year.
“If they weren’t going to get anything of value, why bother trading him.”
To clear salary that they could use in the offseason to sign someone better and take their chances on whatever lottery ticket they got in the trade.”
“You don’t need to trade every last person that’s going into free agency.”
Yes you do.
They don’t need to clear salary for the offseason. He’s literally off the books after September. It would clear salary for THIS year which means it amounts to nothing. They got under the cap, they’re not signing or trading for a high priced person, so, therefore, it’s moot.
Also, no GM trades every single person headed into free agency. GM’s will trade higher value individuals a-la Jon Lester, Mookie Betts, but not everything that’s not bolted down. If you aren’t getting something of proper value out of it, you’re just trading a person to trade them and that’s not going to sit well in a clubhouse, nor encourage future free agents to sign there.
Non-tender. Good call. It would have given Boston some breathing room. I’m also with you on JBJ; trading him gives Boston zero help.
JBJ gives Boston zero help
@B-Strong…
They don’t “need” to clear salary but it absolutely helps.
“… and that’s not going to sit well in a clubhouse, nor encourage future free agents to sign there.”
Do you actually have any evidence of this? Or is it just something you like to say? Trading Chapman didn’t stop the Yankees from signing him, or anyone else they wanted to sign, or ruin the atmosphere in their clubhouse for any amount of time.
JBJ is essentially worth about $3M. If the Sox can pull that off, bring him back. Otherwise, move on.
However, I’d love to have Pillar back.
Most players take the smaller contact from the new team as if it is an insult to take a pay cut from your current team…..Pillar is a better hitter and a better fit.
Bloom and Bradley were both playing nice like all front office staffs and players by saying they are still interested in returning or having the player return. In reality both are thinking “I would never resign” or “the player does not fit our plans”. You will never hear those comments unless someone goofs. Bradley does not fit unless a better option cannot be found as a cheap 4th outfielder.
The point is that trading Bradley wouldn’t have been the difference between him signing with Boston and signing elsewhere.