Is a reunion between Jackie Bradley Jr. and the Red Sox inevitable?
The Boston Red Sox are acting as if they’re content with their outfield but they haven’t closed the door on Jackie Bradley Jr. They are playing the waiting game to watch how the center fielder’s market develops and the plan might pay off as suitors continue to dwindle.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the New York Mets are in agreement on a deal with Albert Almora Jr.
The Mets have found their center fielder. They are in agreement with free agent Albert Almora Jr. , pending a physical, sources tell me and @ByMcCullough
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 7, 2021
This presumably eliminates the most likely candidate for Bradley Jr. from consideration. Almora’s right-handed bat has fared better against lefties, which would compliment Bradley Jr. well, but it’s unlikely that the Mets sign JBJ to be a platoon player.
As recently as a few days ago, Bradley Jr.’s return to Boston appeared to be a long shot with reports that he was seeking a long-term deal of at least four years. Just because he’s asking for it doesn’t mean a team is willing to give that type of deal to a center fielder who turns 31 years old in April.
The Mets were expected to be big spenders under their new ownership. After missing out on Trevor Bauer, George Springer and J.T. Realmuto, New York should have plenty of room in their budget. If they weren’t willing to meet Bradley Jr.’s asking price, who will?
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The Toronto Blue Jays signed Springer. The Houston Astros let their star outfielder get away but manged to retain Michael Brantley and haven’t been tied to another outfielder in the rumor mill since. Joc Pederson was scooped up by the Chicago Cubs on a one-year deal.
That doesn’t leave many potential suitors for Bradley Jr. Maybe Dave Dombrowski’s familiarity with Bradley Jr. leads the Phillies to jump in, although it should be noted that there was never any ground made toward an extension when he was in charge of the Red Sox front office.
The Red Sox aren’t extending a long-term offer to Bradley Jr. with outfield prospect Jarred Duran waiting in the wings but he remains on the radar if the price drops. If Bradley Jr.’s market dries up to the point where he settles for a one-year deal, perhaps with an option for 2022, Boston should pounce.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted a 2-year, $16 million deal for Bradley Jr. and he’s been rumored to be looking for an average annual value of around $10 million. The lower end of that range might squeeze into Boston’s budget without stepping over the competitive balance tax line. It might take closer to $10 million to convince him to sign for one year, potentially pushing the Red Sox over the threshold. While that’s not ideal, they could always shed salary with mid-season trades if they fall out of the postseason race.
It would be a stretch to call a reunion between Bradley Jr. and the Red Sox inevitable but as other teams continue to pivot in other directions, options are becoming limited for the free-agent outfielder. At the very least, the door is being pried upon a bit further with the Mets presumably out of the mix.