Boston Red Sox are facing a tough challenge in their attempts to keep free-agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. with the franchise. According to The Athletic’s Peter Gammons, Astros are entering the race for Bradley and have reportedly made him a “priority” in free agency.
It isn’t a surprise that Houston is targeting Bradley, considering they will most likely lose All-Star CF George Springer, who recently rejected the franchise’s qualifying offer to enter the free agency. Springer is probably too pricey to re-sign for Houston if other teams get heavily involved, so getting Bradley as a replacement makes sense.
Bradley is coming off a productive season, batting a career-high .283 in 55 games in 2020 while also managing seven home runs and 22 RBIs. On top of this, he is a proven defensive commodity and has a strong locker room presence.
Previous reports indicated that Red Sox approached Jackie Bradley with a multi-year contract offer, but it is unclear whether the player is interested in staying in Boston. Also, the franchise is in the process of retooling their roster after a disappointing 2020 campaign, so they might not be ready to spend big on the 30-year-old player, opening the window for Houston to top them with a more lucrative offer.
Bradley spent his entire career in Boston, making his MLB debut in 2013. He has one All-Star appearance and was part of the Red Sox’s World Series-winning team in 2018.
