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Red Sox Rumors: Phillies eyeing unexpected trade target

By Gabrielle Starr

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 04: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox makes a diving catch on a hit from Brandon Lowe #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) to end the third inning at Tropicana Field on August 04, 2020 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 04: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox makes a diving catch on a hit from Brandon Lowe #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) to end the third inning at Tropicana Field on August 04, 2020 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Will the Boston Red Sox trade Jackie Bradley Jr. at the 2022 deadline?

With the MLB trade deadline approaching, several members of the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox could be on the move; JD Martinez, Christian Vazquez, and Nathan Eovaldi are the three most-likely trade chips who will be wearing new uniforms by Wednesday.

One name from the 2018 squad that hasn’t popped up as much is Jackie Bradley Jr., which isn’t exactly surprising, given how much better he hits at Fenway Park than anywhere else; it’s why the Milwaukee Brewers were eager to trade him back to Boston after one struggle-filled season. Over 45 home games this year, Bradley is hitting .288/.317/.468 with a .785 OPS, compared to .129/.196/.167 with a .363 OPS in 44 road contests. Over 466 career regular-season games at Fenway, he’s a .262/.339/.436 hitter with a .775 OPS, 405 hits, 104 doubles, 45 home runs, 217 RBI, and 29 stolen bases.

Phillies, Astros reportedly interested in Jackie Bradley Jr.

Given the limited outfield options available for the many teams that need upgrades, Bradley is drawing interest from teams who have plenty of offensive power but are in need of a defensive upgrade. After all, he’s a streaky hitter at best, but an excellent outfielder. He won a Gold Glove in 2018 and should’ve won one the year before, too.

According to Jon Heyman, the Philadelphia Phillies are interested. They’re in dire need of a defensive upgrade but are pretty solid offensively even without an injured Bryce Harper, so he’d be a perfect fit. There’s also the Dave Dombrowski connection:

"“Phillies looking for some defense in CF. Ramon Laureano is the top of the market but not that likely to be moved. Sone other considerations: Michael A. Taylor, Jackie Bradley Jr. (Dombrowski Red Sox link), Jose Siri.”"

Since Statcast began tracking Outs Above Average in 2016, Bradley has been a plus-defender each season. He’s +2 OAA in right and +1 OAA in center this year, and accumulated +37 OAA between 2016-18. In other words, he’s better on his own than the entire current Phillies outfield, which has a combined -6 OAA this season; only seven teams’ outfield have a worse mark.

Bradley is a strong defender with ample postseason experience. If the Phillies truly don’t care about his bat, he’s a perfect fit for them.

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