Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Age: 26
Contract Status: 1st year Arbitration Eligible, Free Agency 2021
Bradley will get a bit of a boost in salary from the near minimum amount he has made the past few years, but he’ll be well worth the price coming off his first All-Star campaign.
His trade value has never been higher now that he’s shown that he’s capable of contributing at the plate. A second half slump took some of the shine off his overall numbers, but he still finished the year inside the top 20 in the league with an .835 OPS and was 16th among position players with 5.3 WAR.
Even if his bat regresses a bit, Bradley still provides tremendous value as an elite center fielder. While his previous track record in the big leagues may make teams question if this year’s production was for real, there’s a reasonable chance that he can continue to improve as he enters his prime.
The Red Sox could consider trading JBJ if they find another team that is more convinced than they are that his offensive outburst wasn’t a mirage. His name has already been linked to stud pitchers like Chris Sale, suggesting that Bradley’s breakout year has put him in position to potentially headline a package for an ace starter.