Jackie Bradley Jr. signs with division rival after Red Sox release
Blue Jays signing Jackie Bradley Jr. to major-league contract after Red Sox release
Jackie Bradley Jr. is no longer with the Boston Red Sox, but he’ll be staying in the division after all.
The Toronto Blue Jays are signing Bradley to a major-league contract. This comes less than a week after the Sox released Bradley, one of their longest-tenured players, dating back to his 2013 debut.
And since the Sox are on the hook for the remainder of Bradley’s contract, the Jays only have to pay him the prorated league minimum. For about $250K, they’ll get a +5 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average outfielder with a Gold Glove and ample postseason experience on his resumé.
The Blue Jays return to Fenway Park on August 23, and the Sox will have to contend with their former Gold Glove outfielder, who knows Fenway Park like the back of his hand and hits better there than anywhere else in the league. Meanwhile, Jarren Duran (-7 DRS, -3 OAA) will take Bradley’s spot in centerfield and try not to lose more inside-the-park grand slams in the ‘twilight.’
Injuries played a significant role in how the Sox used – or rather, were forced to use – Bradley this year, but releasing him was still a pretty baffling decision. There were other ways they could have opened up roster spots after the trade deadline. The Sox got weaker when they released him, and now, in doing so, just made an already-formidable division rival even stronger.
In the words of DJ Khaled, congratulations, you played yourself.
