According to multiple reports, the Milwaukee Brewers are expected to sign center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to a two-year, $24 million deal that includes an opt-out after the first year. The move was first reported early Thursday morning by the Boston Globe.
The 30-year-old Bradley has spent all eight of his Major League seasons with the Boston Red Sox, winning a Gold Glove in 2018. He played on a one-year deal with the Red Sox last season and became a free agent after the 2020 season.
Bradley was an all-star in 2016, when he hit 26 home runs. He is a career .239 hitter with 98 home runs, 376 RBI and 60 stolen bases with the Red Sox.
Bradley hit .283 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs, five stolen bases in 55 games in 2020.
How Bradley fits into the Brewers outfield remains to be seen. Going into the spring, the Brewers appeared to be set with Christian Yelich in left field, Avisail Garcia in right field and Lorenzo Cain, returning to the club after an opt-out season, returning in center.
The Brewers could find a way to find enough games and at bats for those four, but Cain and Bradley make their living in center field. You have four starting outfielders and three spots for them to play. It’s a position of strength for the Brewers, but will Cain & Bradley be happy having to share time? Could there be another move coming?