Jackie Bradley Jr.'s Red Sox Reunion Ends With Release

Jackie Bradley Jr. struggled after rejoining the Red Sox via trade over the offseason.

The Red Sox turned some heads over the offseason when they sent Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee for Jackie Bradley Jr. and prospects Alex Binelas and David Hamilton.

The trade created a reunion between Boston and Bradley Jr. But Renfroe was fresh off a monster season in which he slashed .259/.315/.501 with 31 home runs and 96 RBI for a Red Sox team that made a somewhat surprising run to the American League Championship Series.

Fast forward to Thursday, and Renfroe is hitting .246/.299/.508 with 19 dingers and 43 RBI for the first-place Brewers. The man he was traded for, meanwhile, is now a free agent.

Bradley Jr.'s second stint with the Red Sox came to an end on Thursday when the team released him. Always a glove-first outfielder, the 32-year-old left-handed hitter posted a .210 average with three home runs and 29 RBI. 

“Where we’re at roster-wise, we had to go in a different direction,” Boston manager Alex Cora told WEEI’s Merloni, Fauria and Mego Show. “We’ve got to keep a right-handed hitting outfielder. We’ve got to keep a utility guy. And obviously, we’re going to get healthy in the upcoming weeks. It’s one of those that it’s hard. But at the end, we have to take care of the roster. And we feel like the roster we have today is a good one to help us win games on a nightly basis. We have different options to pinch hit, to pinch run, to use everybody. And it just happens that it didn’t work out with Jackie.”

Bradley Jr.'s departure follows Boston's pre-deadline acquisition of fellow outfielder Tommy Pham, which created a logjam. Pham, Jaylin Davis and Christian Arroyo (who also plays the infield) give the Red Sox three right-handed hitting outfielders, while Jarren Duran and Alex Verdugo have the left side covered. 

Kiké Hernández is also rehabing a right hip flexor strain.

The Red Sox drafted Bradley Jr. in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he debuted with the team in 2013. Bradley Jr. won the 2018 ALCS MVP award and that year's World Series with Boston. He totaled three home runs and 10 RBI that October.

Bradley Jr.'s 2021 campaign with Milwaukee was the only season he has spent outside of Beantown.