Boston Red Sox: 2 players who need to be dropped from the lineup now
Boston Red Sox player who needs to get dropped from lineup No. 2: Jackie Bradley Jr.
Jackie Bradley Jr.‘s most recent contribution to the team came as a pitcher to save the bullpen from having to waste another arm in a blowout on Friday night. It may be harsh, but that’s pretty much the biggest contribution Bradley can make to this team right now.
We knew coming into the season that Bradley is a weak hitter who makes up for it with his defensive play, but it’s coming to the point where Cora cannot justify playing him on an everyday basis anymore. Through 74 games, Bradley is hitting just .211 with one home run and 25 RBIs. He’s yet to make an error in the outfield, but he’s hitting so poorly that it doesn’t matter.
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It would be one thing if the Sox didn’t have anyone else to play in Bradley’s spot, but they do. Both Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran have been far more productive than Bradley during their limited stints in the majors so far. Both are hitting above .300 at the plate while playing capable defense, and Cora has already begun to play them over Bradley more as the lineup has gone cold.
Things are really going to come to a head once Kike Hernandez comes off the injured list. Cora has largely been piecing together his lineups lately, which has made it somewhat necessary to keep Bradley in the lineup at times. But once Hernandez returns, it would be hard to send Refsnyder or Duran back to Worcester based on how well they have played, along with how poorly Bradley has played.
It’s not as if Bradley holds any trade value at this point considering he’s about to get played off the major-league roster by two minor league callups. The front office may be forced to just cut Bradley outright in a similar manner as they did with Hansel Robles recently. Bradley’s days with the Sox are most likely nearing their end, and Cora would be wise to cut his playing time as soon as he can.