(WEEI) The market for free-agent center field Jackie Bradley Jr. appears to be heating up.
The Cubs and the Phillies are two of the most recent teams to show interest in Bradley, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Bradley, 30, has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Red Sox.
Bradley hit .283 with seven homers, 22 RBIs and an .814 OPS in 55 games last season. He also posted a 118 OPS+.
Earlier in December, Bradley explained on a podcast with former teammate Will Middlebrooks that the free-agent market had seemed slower than anticipated.
"I definitely have been able to hear from a couple of teams," said Bradley, who just recently joined wife Erin in welcoming their second child. "That's good to know there is definitely interest, and interest from multiple teams. But I think as of right now things are kind of moving slow. As you can see, like NBA, they're making moves left and right. I think we all kind of knew that baseball would be slow. The last couple of days or so things have been very chill, very relaxed. Haven't heard much talk around the league right now. For me, that's fine. I'm a pretty patient guy. That hasn't been my main focus at the moment because I have a little one who is going to be here imminently and that's been my main focus for my family. All that other stuff is going to take care of itself."
The Astros have seemingly made Bradley a priority since the outset of free agency, with the Red Sox also showing interest in a reunion. The Blue Jays and Mets have also seemed to be in the mix, although each of those teams appears to prefer the more expensive George Springer among outfielders in the free-agent market.
It should be no surprise Bradley has drawn interest from both the Cubs and Phillies considering his relationship with each team's front office.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was part of the Red Sox front office that selected Bradley in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, and Bradley is a former teammate of Chicago manager David Ross. Newly hired Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski previously led the Red Sox and rebuffed numerous trade proposals from teams for Bradley during their time together in Boston.
The Cubs have a hole in their outfield after non-tendering Kyle Schwarber. Ian Happ is currently set to handle center field but could shift to left field. At the moment, the Phillies' plan for center field involves a combination of Roman Quinn and Adam Haseley. Bradley would represent a significant defensive upgrade for either team.
The MLB Trade Rumors projected Bradley to draw a two-year, $16-million deal in free agency.
The lefty-swinging Bradley finished 2020 strong, hitting .326 with five homers and a .985 OPS in September. Perhaps most encouraging was his success against left-handed pitching. He hit .288 batting average against them last season compared to .280 against right-handers.