Report: D-backs eyeing Jackie Bradley Jr. as potential Pollock replacement
Dec 11, 2018, 5:00 PM | Updated: 10:16 pm
Boston Red Sox's Jackie Bradley Jr. runs the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen, right, during the eighth inning in Game 3 of the World Series baseball game on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
If free agent A.J. Pollock doesn’t come back to Arizona, the Diamondbacks will need a new centerfielder.
One name the D-backs are looking into is Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., according to The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
Bradley, 28, is under team control for two more seasons. Last season, he hit .234 for 13 home runs and 59 RBI with an OPS of .717.
The left-handed hitter has provided his value primarily on defense. Bradley ranked fifth among all outfielders in defensive runs above average the past three seasons, an advanced stat used to grade a player’s defensive value. He won his first Gold Glove in 2018.
To be fair, Bradley has provided some pop with his bat in the past too. In 2016 he was an All-Star, hitting a career-high .267 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI.
Bradley started mostly in center field for Boston last season and his 137 games started were the third-most on the team.
The USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the Red Sox want to clear up salary space in order to add more to their bullpen, noting Bradley as a possibility.
Bradley has his second year of arbitration in 2019 and could land roughly $8 million.
The D-backs will reportedly consider infielder Ketel Marte as an option in center field as well.
