Red Sox release Jackie Bradley Jr.
BOSTON -- After acquiring Eric Hosmer at the trade deadline, the Red Sox needed to make room on the roster. Jackie Bradley Jr. is the odd man out.
The Red Sox announced Thursday afternoon that Bradley has been released. Earlier in the day, The Boston Globe reported that Bradley had been designated for assignment.
The 32-year-old Bradley rejoined the Red Sox this past offseason in a trade that also brought two prospects (Alex Binelas, David Hamilton) to the Red Sox, with Hunter Renfroe giong out to Milwaukee.
While Bradley's outfield defense remained steady, he's struggled offensively, hitting .210 with a .578 OPS. That's a tick better, actually, than his numbers last year, when he batted .163 with a .497 OPS for the Brewers. But it's well off the .247 average and .769 OPS he posted from 2015-20 with the Red Sox.
Bradley was originally a first-round pick of the Red Sox back in 2011 out of the University of South Carolina. He made his MLB debut in 2013, but was not on the active postseason roster when the team won the World Series. He did win the World Series with the Red Sox in 2018, earning ALCS MVP honors along the way for his performance vs. the Astros. He signed with the Brewers as a free agent last year before returning a year later via trade.