Boston Red Sox, Jackie Bradley Jr. Agree to 1-year, $3.6 Million Deal
Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. signed a one-year deal with the team to avoid arbitration.
According to multiple sources on Friday, the Boston Red Sox have avoided salary arbitration with All-Star outfielder Jackie Bradly Jr. The two sides agreed at the deadline to a one-year, $3.6 million deal.
The 26-year-old outfielder enjoyed his best year with the team in 2016. Bradley was one of a trio of young stars to make the American League All-Star Game. He batted a career-high .267 with 26 home runs, 87 RBIs and 94 runs. The improvement with the bat was a bonus considering how impressive he was defensively.
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Bradley Jr., who was initially rumored in the deal for Chris Sale, will undoubtedly seek a long-term deal in the future. For now, the 2014 Gold Glove finalist will be eligible for arbitration in each of the next three years.
What to expect in 2017
As far as the upcoming 2017 season is concerned, Bradley Jr. hopes to find some consistency with his offence. Yes, he had a career year with his bat, but he was also very streaky. When he’s hot, he is a very tough out and when he is cold, he looks like one of the worst hitters in baseball. Luckily, due to his defense, the team and fans can live with the inconsistency as long as there are other players in the lineup who can make up for his offense when he struggles.
At the same time, do not count out another solid (if not better) season offensively or Jackie Bradley Jr. Equal to his talent, it is his perseverance that has transcended him into an All Star. He is a player who seems to excel when he is counted out.
"“I’ve been through a lot of adversity, but honestly, I think that shows that I’m willing to go through it, to put the work in and keep moving forward,” Bradley said before the All-Star break.“It sounds a little cliché — everybody always says, ‘It’s a dream come true.’ I never really thought of ‘All-Star’ as being a dream for me. My dream was always to play at a major league level. “I’ve been able to be an All-Star at every single level that I’ve played at on a consistent basis. So, I’m glad that I get to be an All-Star at the top level as well.”"
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