Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite Outfielder Seeking MLB Deal Despite Retirement Rumors

The homegrown defensive stalwart is not hanging up the cleats

Scott Neville | Feb 23, 2024

Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite Outfielder Seeking MLB Deal Despite Retirement Rumors /

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Boston Red Sox

With the Boston Red Sox just hours away from their first spring training game on Friday, plenty of free agents are still on the board.

Most of the attention rightfully remains on the quartet known as the "Boras Four," -- outfielder Cody Bellinger, third baseman Matt Chapman and southpaws Blake Snell plus Jordan Montgomery -- but there also are some players just trying to find a team to take a chance on them.

One of those players is a former homegrown Red Sox outfielder who has bounced around following nine seasons in Boston.

"Jackie Bradley Jr. is working out and looking to see if he can get a job now," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Thursday.

Bradley is known for his stellar defense but his offensive profile is keeping him out of the big leagues.

The 33-year-old hit .133 with six extra-base hits including one home run, six RBIs and a .397 OPS (10 OPS+) in 43 games last season.

Bradley posted four outs above average and displayed 91st-percentile arm strength last season in limited work.

At this juncture, Bradley makes the most sense as a minor-league deal candidate who could potentially end up as a fourth outfielder down the line to improve upon a club's depth.

The Red Sox would not be a fit given their deep group of young outfielders, especially Ceddanne Rafaela, who is projected to be every bit as good as a 33-year-old Bradley -- some believe he could rival Bradley's prime defensive years as well.

More MLB: Red Sox Outbid By Tigers For Ex-Yankees Infielder Despite Low Pricetag

Published Feb 23, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu