When it comes to Jackie Bradley Jr., this is what we know ...
- Up until just after this past season's trade deadline the Red Sox never broached the topic of contract extension with the outfielder at any point during his professional career.
- The day of the trade deadline Chaim Bloom proclaimed that the Red Sox were interested in bringing back Bradley Jr. despite not having talked to him about a new deal.
- By the time free agency rolled around the Red Sox had reached out to Bradley Jr., expressing their interest in a reunion.
- Teams like Houston, the Mets and Blue Jays were all linked to the 30-year-old free agent.
- Bradley Jr. went on former teammate Will Middlebrooks' podcast to reveal that that a few teams had shown interest but the process was slower than anticipated.
- Red Sox general manager Brian O'Halloran said Monday, "Jackie is definitely on our radar and we've all seen what Jackie has been able to do over the years. Certainly a guy that, to use your terminology, we'll absolutely keep on our radar and see where it goes."
Through it all one thought jumps to mind: Bradley Jr. might be the most logical fit of any free agent position player the Red Sox are pursuing.
While a case can be made for the likes of George Springer -- a right-handed-hitting center fielder who can lead off and is good in the clubhouse -- the cost of doing business is a whole lot different than it will be with Bradley Jr. Springer will cost a whole lot more years and money, while also necessitating a draft pick in the deal.
Bradley Jr.? For teams looking to build without prioritizing the cover the media guide and t-shirt sales, he is simply the better bargain. The Red Sox know this, which is why they have suddenly shown legitimate interest.
The problem for the Red Sox is that they aren't alone.
While teams like the Mets and Blue Jays are seemingly more than willing to spend oodles of money this offseason, one of them aren't going to get Springer while still needing that center fielder. And Houston, while not carrying the kind of deep pockets New York and Toronto possess, have clearly made Bradley Jr. a priority.
So, it begs the question: Did the Red Sox misread Bradley Jr.'s market?
Dating back to the summer of 2019, Bradley Jr. has said he was looking forward to free agency. It was a notion he reiterated in the first spring training last season. But what if any sort of love was shown his way? What if those aforementioned contract conversations actually took place before he hit free agency?
In fairness to the Red Sox, most of the time we are talking about came under the watch of Dave Dombrowski. And while Dombrowski stiff-armed teams trying to trade for Bradley Jr., it seemed as though there was a forgone conclusion that 2020 would be his last season in a Red Sox uniform.
There was also the well-documented ups and downs of Bradley Jr.'s offensive production, perhaps leading to some hesitancy when it came to committing to the former first-round pick beyond his contract.
But once there was that realization that Bradley Jr. would legitimately be a really good fit on this club going forward -- whether it be before Aug. 31 or after -- did the Red Sox put their best foot forward? Because if they didn't this might be a gamble that could cost a player that is perceived as very much part of the solution.
There have been other cases of the Red Sox reading the situation incorrectly, with Chris Sale coming to mind. This was a pitcher who was coming off an injury-plagued season in 2018, yet the Red Sox didn't wait around to make sure he was health enough to function in 2019 before jumping in on an extension just before the beginning of the regular season. Making matters worse was that Sale admitted to WEEI.com in June that he had never intended to test free agency and Boston was the only place he wanted to be.
Now we have Bradley Jr.
Maybe the money and years fall well below what the Red Sox might have to allocate when putting together an extension prior to this round of free agency. The economics of baseball still have left some corners of the Hot Stove with uncertainty.
But it would seem that the Red Sox will have significant competition for a player they could already be calling their own. And for those -- like Bloom and Co. -- who are hoping that Bradley Jr. returns, that's an uneasy feeling.
