If the arms race is officially back on in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox have a lot of catching up to do. According to one report, they are willing to part with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. in order to add more pop to their lineup.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Monday that the Red Sox are shopping Bradley around in pursuit of a power hitter.
The Boston #RedSox have let several teams know that CF Jackie Bradley is available in their pursuit of a power bat. #Cubs
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2017
Bradley is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, but he doesn’t provide a whole lot at the plate. Aside from his 29-game hitting streak in 2016, Bradley has failed to produce consistently since he became a full-time MLB player. He hit just .245 last season, though he did provide 17 home runs and 63 RBI. Bradley has the ability to hit the ball out of the park, but he is a career .239 hitter.
Of course, Boston may feel more inclined to add a power bat to its lineup now that the Yankees have landed Giancarlo Stanton. The Red Sox felt the sting of not having David Ortiz last season, so power hitter was already a big need. The Stanton trade may have made it a more urgent one.
