Down: Jackie Bradley Jr.
This, unfortunately, has been a long time coming. Honestly, Jackie Bradley Jr. could have been on this list at any point in 2018. He hit a bleak .213 for April and a dismal .203 for May. Somehow, unbelievably yet predictably, he found a new low in June.
Though Jackie did manage four home runs, his batting average for June sank to a new low of .202, while his OBP plummeted to .284. Even his normally stellar defense abandoned him for stretches. When a player’s defense is the justification for keeping him in the lineup, it’s hard to watch that quality vanish, even for short periods of time.
JBJ is probably still the best outfielder in baseball defensively and has some ability at the plate. We saw that in 2016 and at various points throughout his career, and have even seen brief glimpses of it this year.
Next: Red Sox hypothetical fire sale: Five potential trade ideas
At this point, however, even his glove might not be enough to justify keeping his bat in the lineup. The Red Sox have needs; the bullpen could do with some bolstering and the catcher position might warrant an upgrade. JBJ, for all his struggles, still has a good deal of value and could help land some of those pieces. It’s never easy to say a team should trade a player with such rare ability, but it’s getting to that point for Jackie. If he can’t find a way to turn things around quickly, he might be wearing a different uniform in August.