Jackie Bradley Jr

When the Red Sox reacquired Jackie Bradley Jr., they hoped their longtime center fielder would represent a defensive upgrade for the outfield and they were ...

Bradley Jr. batted .210 with a .578 OPS — though his marks were much better at Fenway, where he batted .288 with a .785 OPS — and while he was stable defensively, his play in right field was seemingly not much of a difference from Renfroe based on the numbers. So we felt this was something that made sense for us right now and also has a chance to pay dividends down the road.” “True center fielders are hard to find and we feel we now have two of the best at that position,” Bloom said when he made the trade, referring to Hernandez as the other center fielder. He has a negative-6 DRS in 282 innings. Meanwhile, in the absence of Hernandez, Jarren Duran has assumed the role of everyday center fielder, a position he’s still learning. Bloom banked on Bradley Jr. providing more defensive stability and producing better offensively in the familiar confines of Fenway while also adding to his farm system. Bradley was credited with seven defensive runs saved in 525 2/3 innings in right, while Renfroe has provided eight DRS in 575 1/3 innings. But his 2021 season was the worst of his career offensively, as he batted .163 with a .497 OPS in 428 plate appearances. With the acquisition of outfielder Tommy Pham at the trade deadline, the Red Sox seemingly couldn’t find a spot for Bradley Jr. in their plans anymore. Then, unexpectedly, he was back in Boston. Moments before the lockout went into effect last December, Chaim Bloom completed a trade that sent Renfroe to Milwaukee in exchange for Bradley Jr. and prospects Alex Binelas and David Hamilton. The move was surprising. Bradley Jr., meanwhile, was owed $9.5 million this season and represented an offensive downgrade. “It’s one of those that it’s hard, but at the end, we have to take care of the roster, and we feel like the roster that we have today is a good one to help us win games on a nightly basis.

With all of the moving pieces resulting from the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox have designated outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for assignment.

The bottom line is that Jackie Bradley Jr. was not a guy that should’ve been back in the first place. Being a fourth outfielder would’ve been perfect for the Red Sox and Jackie Bradley Jr. He could’ve gotten occasional spot starts against right-handed pitching. A lot of fans saw the writing on the wall, so this isn’t exactly surprising with the direction the team is going in for the long term. Jackie Bradley Jr. should not have been a starting outfielder this season for the Boston Red Sox. You had three outfielders in Duran, Verdugo, and Hernandez that could play everyday in the outfield. So what would JBJ’s role have been in the Red Sox everyday plans? The Boston Red Sox continue to make moves even after the trade deadline.

KANSAS CITY -- The Red Sox released outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on Thursday as the club plans its course for what Boston hopes will be a robust final two ...

"And we'll be more comfortable in a few weeks." "The last two weeks, [Duran] has really been good with his jumps," Cora said. "We were hoping, offensively, it was going to be a lot better than last year," Cora said.

Veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., a former All-Star who was hitting just .210 in 92 games for the Red Sox this season, has been released by the team.

"He made some adjustments pre-pitch and with the first step. "The last two weeks, [Duran] has really been good with his jumps," Cora said. But toward the end, there were a lot of ground balls to the pull side.

Bradley, 32, rejoined Boston in 2022 after spending the '21 season in Milwaukee. He has struggled at the plate so far this year, posting a .578 OPS in 91 games.

The 2011 first-round pick became a familiar face in Boston over the last decade. It’s been a difficult 2022 season for the Red Sox. Boston enters Thursday last in the AL East at 53–53, now 17 games behind New York for the division lead. Bradley, 32, rejoined Boston in 2022 after spending the ’21 season in Milwaukee. He has struggled at the plate so far this year, posting a .578 OPS in 91 games.

1:15pm: The Red Sox have announced that Bradley has been released. He will now be free to sign with any team for the protated league minimum, with Boston on ...

However, the long-term evaluation of the deal will depend upon the future development of Binelas and Hamilton. As for what happens now, there’s no way for the Sox to work out a trade since the deadline has passed. Boston acquired Tommy Pham at the deadline, which likely played a part in nudging Bradley out of the corner outfield picture. Effectively, the Sox purchased a pair of minor leaguers by bringing Bradley back into the fold and picking up the tab on his deal. Boston reacquired Bradley in an offseason trade that sent Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers. The trade netted the Red Sox a pair of prospects, infielders Alex Binelas and David Hamilton, and saw the Sox take on the second year of Bradley’s two-year, $24MM contract in the process. 1:15pm: The Red Sox have announced that Bradley has been released.

The move comes as the Red Sox look to make some room on their 40-man roster and provide more playing time for emerging outfielder Jaren Durran.

Bradley Jr. was drafted by Boston with the No. 40 pick in the 2011 amateur draft. The 32-year-old Bradley is a .228 hitter with 107 homers and 434 RBIs in 1,098 major league games. Bradley Jr. agreed to a $24 million, two-year contract with Milwaukee in March 2021 and played one season for the Brewers before he was traded to Boston in December.