Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, and the Boston Red Sox center fielder once again stated his case for Gold Glove consideration on Monday.
Bradley robbed Toronto Blue Jays DH Kendrys Morales of what would have been at least a double in the top of the sixth inning. The fly ball took Bradley to the deepest part of Fenway Park, and he was somehow able to leap and make an amazing over-the-shoulder catch.
It may be hard to believe, but we have actually seen better catches from Bradley during his career. He is hitting an abysmal .185 this season, but plays like that show why the Red Sox continue to keep JBJ in the lineup.
The Boston Red Sox do not intend to demote outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. despite his struggles, according to manager Alex Cora.
With second baseman Dustin Pedroia nearing a return from injury, speculation has grown that Bradley could be demoted to AAA to clear a roster spot. Cora said this isn’t in the plans despite Bradley’s major struggles at the plate.
On @DaleKeefeWEEI Cora rules out JBJ demotion or Nunez DL stint for impending Pedroia return
There was some talk of Bradley being traded after the J.D. Martinez signing in the offseason, but that didn’t happen. Perhaps the Red Sox are regretting it now, as his value has tanked since then. He’s hitting a miserable .176, with just 23 hits and two home runs in 131 at-bats. Not even his steady defense can make up for those kind of numbers forever.
The Boston Red Sox adding JD Martinez does not necessarily mean that they will be trading Jackie Bradley Jr.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported on Monday night that Boston is unlikely to trade Bradley Jr.:
Jackie Bradley Jr. is unlikely to be traded following the J.D. Martinez signing, sources say. #RedSox are inclined to preserve their offensive depth. @MLBNetwork@MLB
Signing Martinez gives Boston a crowd at DH and outfield.
They have Andrew Benintendi in left, Bradley Jr. in center, and Mookie Betts in right. Martinez played left field during his time in Houston, but he has been a right fielder the past three seasons. He is expected to serve as Boston’s DH, with Hanley Ramirez moving to first base. The team also has Mitch Moreland, who can play first and DH, so they have plenty of depth.
Perhaps the Red Sox will want to hang onto all their players in case of injuries, or maybe they’ll make a trade if they see a good opportunity. For now, it does not sound like Bradley will be the odd man out.
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
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.
If the Boston Red Sox need an extra starting pitcher this year, they might want to think about converting Jackie Bradley Jr., because that guy can bring the heat.
Thanks to some new, cool statistical tools, the speed of a ball thrown by an outfielder can be tracked. During the first inning on Boston’s win over Toronto Friday, Bradley was clocked at 10.3 mph on a throw home from center field.
Jackie Bradley Jr. just threw a ball 101.3 MPH from the outfield… Holy moly.
Did you know how strong Jackie Bradley Jr.’s arm was? If you didn’t before, you sure do now.
The Red Sox outfielder has 11 outfield assists this season and has combined for six double plays. He was challenged by NESN reporter Gary Striewski Friday to see if he could throw a ball over the fence at Fenway Park.
Bradley took off from just up the first base line and launched a throw over the center field wall — a throw estimated to have traveled 420 feet. Bradley also told Striewski he’s thrown the ball further than that.
The Boston Red Sox picked up a much-needed 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Had it not been for the incredible diving catch Jackie Bradley Jr. made in the second inning, Chicago may have ended up breaking the game open.
With one out, a man on second and the White Sox already leading 2-0, Chicago catcher Tyler Flowers hit a ball to right-centerfield that looked like it was going to find the gap for a double. That’s when Bradley Jr. did this:
Bradley Jr.’s catch was easily one of the best of the year, and he has made a handful of them. He’s hitting just .217 this season, so his Gold Glove-caliber defense has basically reserved his spot on the MLB roster. Catches like that remind us of why the Red Sox are keeping Bradley Jr. around.
Jackie Bradley Jr. has not exactly been Jacoby Ellsbury since taking over in center field for the Boston Red Sox. The 24-year-old is hitting an abysmal .203 with an on-base percentage of .290 in 60 games this season. He does, however, have one thing that Ellsbury lacks — a strong arm.
During Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Indians, Bradley Jr. made a great running catch against the wall in the seventh inning. It was what he did after the catch that was most impressive, as he fired the ball all the way back to first base to double off Mike Aviles and end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr. usually wears his hair in braids, so it certainly was a change to see him let it all out on Saturday. And we love him for it.
Would you look at that beautiful, round, shapely hair. How perfect is that?
You really think it was Bradley Jr.’s solid performances in the minor leagues that convinced Ben Cherington to bring him up? No way. He took one look at the homie’s major league ‘fro and said, “we need that up with the big club.”
Here’s how Bradley’s hair looks with the braids in:
