According to Julian McWilliams, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has agreed to a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. The contract is for two years and is worth $24 million. The deal includes a player option after the first season.
Bradley Jr. has spent the entirety of his eight-year MLB career with the Boston Red Sox. The 2020 season saw the 30-year-old post a .283/.364/.450 slash line to go along with seven home runs and 22 RBI. In his career, Bradley Jr. sports a .239/.321/.412 slash line with 98 homers and 376 RBI.
Source: Jackie Bradley Jr. is heading to the Milwaukee Brewers. Two-year, $24 million deal with a player option after the first year.
— Julian McWilliams (@byJulianMack) March 4, 2021
Upside
The greatest strength in Bradley Jr.’s game is his defense. Although he only has one Gold Glove Award to his name, he’s considered to be one of the game’s best defenders. In 2020, Bradley Jr. made several highlight-reel catches and was tied with Gold Glove finalist Luis Robert with seven outs above average. Yet, somehow, he was not named a finalist for the award.
Jackie Bradley Jr. with the snag 💪
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/L9P4u0m2fE
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) August 5, 2020
Bradley Jr. isn’t an elite baserunner by any means. But opposing teams will have to keep a watchful eye on him, as he has stolen 60 bases in his career, including 17 steals in the 2018 season. He also brings a veteran presence and winning mentality to the locker room and on the field.
Downside
The major downside in Bradley Jr.’s game is his inconsistencies at the plate. While he has shown some potential, including a 26 home run and 87 RBI season in 2016, he has never been able to string together a prolonged run of success. As a result, he only has two 20-homer seasons and possesses a career batting average of .239. However, he is coming off his highest OPS, .814, since 2016, and was on pace to hit more than 20 home runs in a 162-game schedule, and his strikeout rate was a career-low 22.1%. So, maybe he’s finally getting back to the offensive player that he was four years ago.
Main Photo:Embed from Getty Images
