Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite, Gold Glove Winner DFA'd After Tumultuous Start To 2023 Season
One former member of the Boston Red Sox will be looking for a new home shortly.
Former Boston fan favorite outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals after a disappointing start to the 2023 campaign, according to the club.
Bradley signed with the Royals in spring training to a minor league contract and earned a spot with the big league roster heading into Opening Day. The former Red Sox outfielder began the season as a role player for the Royals and in 43 games struggled offensively slashing .133/.188/.210 to go along with one home run and six RBIs.
The one-time All-Star was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft and remained in the organization until signing with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent ahead of the 2021 campaign. Bradley re-joined the Red Sox ahead of the 2022 campaign but was designated for assignment. In his 11-year career, he has shown that he can be one of the best defensive center fielders in all of baseball, but his offensive play hasn't always matched his defensive play.
Bradley has struggled to get his footing offensively since signing with the Brewers and has slashed .176/.238/.275 in 308 games since the start of the 2021 season to go along with 11 home runs and 73 RBIs.
At this point, there's no way to know what the future holds for Bradley. He was a fan favorite in Boston and helped lead the club to the 2018 World Series. He's just 33 years old so it wouldn't be too surprising to see another club offer him a minor-league contract to see if he could improve offensively. Now that he's been designated for assignment, Kansas City will have one week to attempt to trade Bradley. Teams also will have the opportunity to claim Bradley off waivers. If he hasn't been traded or claimed after a week, he will become a free agent and have the chance to sign with any club.
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