Rays’ Taj Bradley Asks for Justin Turner’s Autograph

The minor leaguer wanted something to remember the moment.

Spring training is full of fun interactions, as prospects and veterans get to play together until the season begins. While veterans are accustomed to these moments, some younger players still get a bit of culture shock playing alongside decorated players.

One such moment occurred Sunday, when Tampa Bay prospect Taj Bradley appeared in his first game of the spring at Fort Myers, Fla. The Rays pitcher got to face Rafael Devers and Justin Turner during one inning of work against the Red Sox, getting Devers to fly out to center and Turner to foul out to first during a perfect first inning. 

Then, after the game, Bradley sent the ball he used to get Turner out back to Turner by proxy for the veteran hitter to sign. Turner, playing in his first season with Boston, was kind enough to oblige.

MLB No. 20 prospect Taj Bradley jammed Justin Turner to pop out for the last out of his outing. Taj got the ball back … and Turner signed it for him. Not a bad souvenir for a first start. @RaysBaseball @MLBPipeline pic.twitter.com/D1ILMNTLE6

— Dawn Klemish (@Sportsgal25) February 26, 2023

Bradley is 21 years old, while Turner is 38 and has been playing in the major leagues for 14 years now. So Bradley has been watching Turner play baseball for two-thirds of his life.

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“I saw one pitch, a fastball,” Turner said after the game, via MLB.com. “Actually, it got in on me, and there’s a big pine tar mark on the ball. Apparently, he got the ball back because he sent it over and asked me to sign it for him, so I signed it and sent it back over.”

If Bradley plays in the majors this year, he could be seeing Turner and the Red Sox often in AL East play.