Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are unlikely to bring back 2017 center fielder Carlos Gomez. Since they are expected to compete in 2018, it would make sense to target Bradley Jr. as a bargain with talent.
The Rangers are a team rumored to have interest in free agent Lorenzo Cain. However, their greatest need is starting pitching. Rather than sign an aging player whose speed is one of his greatest assets, the Rangers may need to explore a trade. Bradley Jr. may soon become available. When he does, they need to jump on a deal.
As emphasized previously, the Boston Red Sox aren’t going to ask a whole lot for Bradley Jr. While they won’t shortchange themselves in a trade, it’s not a ridiculous price tag. The Rangers should still have enough on the farm to get it done. In fact, I could see it costing a single minor leaguer.
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One downside to this would be that the Rangers may prefer a right-handed hitter. If so, they can solve this by adding one at another position. We should expect at least a few position battles in Texas this spring with someone like Delino DeShields Jr. hoping to earn even more playing time. The Rangers have already moved on from Mike Napoli and cannot wait until Shin-Soo Choo’s contract expires. Bradley Jr. may need to endure a slight rebuild, but could soon experience playoff baseball in the Lone Star State.