San Diego Padres Rumors: Could Cal Quantrill be traded before the season?

The Red Sox could part with Jackie Bradley Jr. after signing Kevin Pillar.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

Jackie Bradley Jr.’s (JBJ) career in Boston has been a roller coaster ride. He’s a perennial Gold Glove candidate, but his offense has been streaky. Drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, JBJ was considered to be a highly-touted prospect coming in 32nd overall in MLB’s Top 100 before the 2013 season.

His best year came in 2016 when he slashed .267/.349/.486 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI. As noted, he’s a terrific defender, logging a .990 fielding percentage in center field for his career.

The Red Sox recently added Kevin Pillar, who has a better track record in terms of batting average but isn’t as strong in the field. And with Boston parting with Mookie Betts earlier this month, they may opt for offense over defense in 2020.

Martin Perez is projected to be the fifth starter in Boston’s rotation this year, but another down year may warrant the team declining his $6.3 million option for 2021. A JBJ trade would also clear $11 million more from their payroll and would total approximately $55 million in cleared payroll this offseason for the Red Sox.