Boston Red Sox: Three trade fits for Jackie Bradley Jr.
By Jason Evans
Where could the Boston Red Sox flip Jackie Bradley Jr. to if they decided to deal him this off-season?
2019 was a huge disappointment for the Boston Red Sox. Coming off a World Series title, big things were expected out of the club. Injuries to their starting rotation, an ineffective bullpen, and steps back by some key players led to an 84 win season and missing the playoffs. It also led to the firing of their president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski in September.
Whoever becomes the leader of baseball operations for the Red Sox is going to have some solid building blocks to work with. They are also going to have some bloated contracts, a farm system lacking impact pieces and luxury tax issues.
Per Cot’s Contracts, the Red Sox have around $56 million in tax space heading into this off-season. However, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Workman, and Andrew Benintendi are all arbitration-eligible. If J.D. Martinez opts out, that creates more room but will leave a gaping hole in the lineup. Rick Porcello will be a free agent, so they will have to figure out a way to replace him in the rotation.
One thing they could do is make Bradley available for a trade. He hit .225 with a .738 OPS. He is also one of the better defensive center fielders in the game, even though he had a -1 DRS this past season. MLB Trade Rumors projects Bradley to make $11 million next year. The Red Sox could use those savings and move Benintendi to center field or even Betts should they keep him and decided not to move him either.
So where could the Boston Red Sox flip Jackie Bradley Jr.to? What could they get back for him? Let’s take a look at some options for them.