Boston Red Sox to send Jackie Bradley Jr. packing
The writing has been on the wall for some time. It was just a matter of when the Boston Red Sox would pull the trigger.
That time has come. According to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are set to designate Bradley for assignment, seemingly ending his return to Boston.
Boston Red Sox cutting the cord on Jackie Bradley Jr.
His return to Boston was somewhat puzzling. The Brewers were desperate to get rid of him, packaging a pair of well regarded prospects with Bradley for Hunter Renfroe. It is a trade that would have made sense for a rebuilding team due to the prospect capital, but not for one with postseason aspirations.
The hope was that Bradley would rediscover his mojo with the Red Sox. He had generally been a decent enough hitter with Gold Glove caliber defense in the outfield, making him an extremely valuable piece in Boston prior to his signing in Milwaukee. It made sense that a return home could be what he needed.
Instead, that return was a disaster. While Bradley’s 58 OPS+ was an improvement over his performance in Milwaukee, he was close to unplayable. Jarren Duran finally returned to the majors and is providing somewhat respectable offense. In fact, he has been what they hoped Bradley would be.
At 32 years old, Bradley is still young enough where he could return to form. Some team will give him a look next year, even if it is on a minor league contract. Maybe that will even happen in Boston. However, for now, his time with the Red Sox is coming to an end.
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The Boston Red Sox hoped that Jackie Bradley Jr. would rediscover the magic back home. Instead, the is on the way out the door.