We Wish You Well Jackie Bradley Jr. (DFA 8.4.22)

moretsyndrome

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God I love that man, hope he has a huge year.
I probably said this once or twice in random game threads - those times when he'd break a 2-22 skid with a HR to tie a game in the 9th, then a circus catch to save the game in the 10th, then deliver a hit to win it in the 11th or something - but he's really unlike any player I've ever seen. He often performs some of the highest-end feats imaginable in every aspect of the sport, but can struggle so hard with consistent offense year after year.

It could be very frustrating, not only because the slumps were hurting the team, but he had a rare quality that made you want to see him succeed more consistently. I can't think of another recent Boston athlete with that quality. Maybe Time Lord.

Anyway, he was signing at a winter event in "good ol' Pawtucket" a few years back. I bent down and prompted minimoret, who was maybe 5 at the time, to say something like "Good luck this year!" Instead of signing his picture and handing it over the desk to me, JBJ put on this huge grin, stood up and said "Hey, thank you, little man!", walked around the room and delivered the picture himself.

I will definitely miss that guy. I'm gonna miss the Pawsox, too.
 

Yo La Tengo

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My youngest son picked up on the fact that announcers typically used JBJ's full name when talking about him during games. So, he asked "what is Jackie-Bradley-Jrs last name?" I explained that his last name was Bradley and that he used Jr. since his dad has the same name. Puzzled, he asked "so his name is Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley Jr.?" And that's how we've referred to him ever since, including waking the boys up to yell "JackieBradleyJrBradleyJr hit a grand slam!" during the Houston series in 2018.

He was a favorite and will be missed greatly in our household.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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I probably said this once or twice in random game threads - those times when he'd break a 2-22 skid with a HR to tie a game in the 9th, then a circus catch to save the game in the 10th, then deliver a hit to win it in the 11th or something - but he's really unlike any player I've ever seen. He often performs some of the highest-end feats imaginable in every aspect of the sport, but can struggle so hard with consistent offense year after year.

It could be very frustrating, not only because the slumps were hurting the team, but he had a rare quality that made you want to see him succeed more consistently. I can't think of another recent Boston athlete with that quality. Maybe Time Lord.

Anyway, he was signing at a winter event in "good ol' Pawtucket" a few years back. I bent down and prompted minimoret, who was maybe 5 at the time, to say something like "Good luck this year!" Instead of signing his picture and handing it over the desk to me, JBJ put on this huge grin, stood up and said "Hey, thank you, little man!", walked around the room and delivered the picture himself.

I will definitely miss that guy. I'm gonna miss the Pawsox, too.
Who the hell is Time Lord!??!?!
 

Yo La Tengo

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Meanwhile, Yo La Tengo's kid is missing
Fortunately, I convinced him to wait and see if Verdugo can match last year's numbers over a whole season and got him a spot on the Jarren Duran hype train, so, he's sticking around for a while at least.
 
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Koufax

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Lighten up, friend. Lose's comment was not meant as criticism.
 

Zedia

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Someone mentioned a while back that Time Lord is a stupid nickname and now it makes me angry every time I see that thread bumped.
 

moretsyndrome

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Someone mentioned a while back that Time Lord is a stupid nickname and now it makes me angry every time I see that thread bumped.
Jesus Christ. It was a simple reference. I’m pretty sure that, had I referred to the athlete that I’m hoping to succeed as Rob Williams, there would have been a response similar to “Who the hell is Rob Williams?”

Whether or not that would have inadvertently lead to this inane and at times annoyingly self-canonizing digression, I would not have been able to predict.
 
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Remagellan

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Aaron finished his career with the Brewers so they retired 44 for him. Brett Anderson is assigned 25, so JBJ needed to choose another number. According to the article below, he chose 41 because "if you add the birthdates of Bradley, his wife, and his kids, you'll get 41."

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/why-ex-red-sox-jackie-bradley-jr-will-wear-no-41-brewers
I was being facetious. Jackie certainly wasn't tied to one number during his tenure with the Sox.
 

Manramsclan

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This thread being the most active in the first week of April, together with this content is really showing how we feel about the current Red Sox team.
 

Bleedred

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He was a joy to watch and an easy guy to root for even when he was struggling. I guess I'll be checking out a few Brewers games this season.
Don't know if I should have started a new thread, but JBJ has had an epically bad season offensively so far. He's batting .152, has an OBP of .214, a slugging % of .272 and an OPS of .486. He's also striking out at a 36% clip and walked 7 times in 171 plate appearances. He has a -0.5 WAR. I have nothing but respect for him and liked him through and through, but these are horrific numbers.

https://www.mlb.com/player/jackie-bradley-jr-598265
 

scottyno

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Don't know if I should have started a new thread, but JBJ has had an epically bad season offensively so far. He's batting .152, has an OBP of .214, a slugging % of .272 and an OPS of .486. He's also striking out at a 36% clip and walked 7 times in 171 plate appearances. He has a -0.5 WAR. I have nothing but respect for him and liked him through and through, but these are horrific numbers.

https://www.mlb.com/player/jackie-bradley-jr-598265
Based on Bwar:

Sox current starting outfield of Verdugo Hernandez and Renfroe: 2.5 war

The killer Bs: 1.5 war

Point Chaim without even factoring in the salaries and future control years
 

ponch73

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Don't know if I should have started a new thread, but JBJ has had an epically bad season offensively so far. He's batting .152, has an OBP of .214, a slugging % of .272 and an OPS of .486. He's also striking out at a 36% clip and walked 7 times in 171 plate appearances. He has a -0.5 WAR. I have nothing but respect for him and liked him through and through, but these are horrific numbers.

https://www.mlb.com/player/jackie-bradley-jr-598265
Mookie Betts is slashing .355/.427/.782 for $30M+ in 2021
JBJ is slashing .214/.272/.486 for $12M in 2021
Benintendi is slashing .346/.382/.728 for $5M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing .307/.364/.671 for $47M+ in 2021

Verdugo is slashing .345/.461/.806 for <$1M in 2021
Kike is slashing .299/.411/.709 for $7M in 2021
Renfroe is slashing .285/.432/.717 for $3.1M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing for .312/.436/.748 for <$11M in 2021

In Chaim, we trust!
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Mookie Betts is slashing .355/.427/.782 for $30M+ in 2021
JBJ is slashing .214/.272/.486 for $12M in 2021
Benintendi is slashing .346/.382/.728 for $5M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing .307/.364/.671 for $47M+ in 2021

Verdugo is slashing .345/.461/.806 for <$1M in 2021
Kike is slashing .299/.411/.709 for $7M in 2021
Renfroe is slashing .285/.432/.717 for $3.1M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing for .312/.436/.748 for <$11M in 2021

In Chaim, we trust!
I'm curious what everyone heres take on Santana is defensively. I'm liking him more than Kiké in CF with Kiké being the super-sub that Marwin was supposed to be- keeping him more as a Devers/Dalbec corner OF replacement. Santana seems to have a better approach at the plate also...
 

bosockboy

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Mookie Betts is slashing .355/.427/.782 for $30M+ in 2021
JBJ is slashing .214/.272/.486 for $12M in 2021
Benintendi is slashing .346/.382/.728 for $5M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing .307/.364/.671 for $47M+ in 2021

Verdugo is slashing .345/.461/.806 for <$1M in 2021
Kike is slashing .299/.411/.709 for $7M in 2021
Renfroe is slashing .285/.432/.717 for $3.1M in 2021
Combined, they are slashing for .312/.436/.748 for <$11M in 2021

In Chaim, we trust!
Side thought but Mookie is the same age McCutchen was when he started a gradual downhill slide. Likely not predictive but it’s interesting.
 

TapeAndPosts

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Side thought but Mookie is the same age McCutchen was when he started a gradual downhill slide. Likely not predictive but it’s interesting.
Mookie is a great player and in all probability will bounce back and have some more excellent years. But this is the reason I didn't want to do even the 10-year, $300M deal the Red Sox supposedly offered. Plenty of great players decline significantly through their 30s. I still find it amazing that Albert Pujols (who has admittedly older when he left St Louis) never had a single season for the Angels that matched the WAR of his worst season for the Cards (which admittedly was 5.3; the closest he came was his first season in Anaheim, 4.8).

As for Jackie, i have mixed feelings. Part of me loves the guy (well, all of me loves him) and wants him to do well. But I admit there is a part that feels a certain satisfaction when a player leaves and does poorly for his next team. A certain "tradenfreude", as it were. (Yes, I'm aware Jackie left as a free agent, but it didn't have the same ring...)
 

JimD

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I'm happy for Jackie for landing that Brewers deal and happy for Chaim for finding suitable replacements at lower cost. JBJ is almost certainly going to be a year-to-year player after this deal ends in 2022, where he'll bounce from team to team and we'll see one of his patented highlight catches on MLB Tonight and be like 'Oh yeah, I forgot that Jackie plays for the Diamondbacks now'.
 

Max Power

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Jackie is the type of hitter who's getting absolutely killed in the current game. He has poor contact skills and extremely predictable batted ball tendencies. If the shift were banned and every pitcher weren't throwing 94MPH sliders he'd probably still be a very productive player.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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I'm curious what everyone heres take on Santana is defensively. I'm liking him more than Kiké in CF with Kiké being the super-sub that Marwin was supposed to be- keeping him more as a Devers/Dalbec corner OF replacement. Santana seems to have a better approach at the plate also...
I haven't watched much this season, but this (and his positional weirdness) got me to look up what kind of defender Santana might be. Baseball Ref has him having played primarily outfield, but over 100 games at short - mostly early in his career and 50+ at first, with a handful at 2b and 3b. I get the notion of Holt-esue IF/OF utility guy makes sense, but the CF/1B pairing feels really odd. What kind of athlete and/or defender is he where this makes sense?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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I haven't watched much this season, but this (and his positional weirdness) got me to look up what kind of defender Santana might be. Baseball Ref has him having played primarily outfield, but over 100 games at short - mostly early in his career and 50+ at first, with a handful at 2b and 3b. I get the notion of Holt-esue IF/OF utility guy makes sense, but the CF/1B pairing feels really odd. What kind of athlete and/or defender is he where this makes sense?
I think he's being used at CF and 1B mostly because that's where the team has the holes to fill rather than he has a particular strength for it. With Hernandez and Dalbec both being right handed, and Marwin stinking up the joint at the plate, Santana is a natural fit as a pseudo platoon partner for both spots.

I think Santana splitting between those two positions is only odd in that he's a right handed thrower. There have been a few left handed throwing players who have done the CF-1B combo. Darin Erstad is the first one that comes to mind. He was mostly a 1B early in his career, then became a full time CF when Jim Edmonds left the Angels for St Louis. Then he shifted back to the 1B for a bit, and ended up his career rotating through 1B and all the OF positions. Cody Bellinger did it for a bit, especially early in his career, until Max Muncy planted himself at 1B full time.
 

ShaneTrot

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I love Jackie, he is/was one of my favorite Red Sox players. But, my God, the Sox dodged a bullet. He has been awful with the Brewers. He is rocking an OPS of .509 this year, his career OPS with Boston was .732.
 

Cesar Crespo

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I love Jackie, he is/was one of my favorite Red Sox players. But, my God, the Sox dodged a bullet. He has been awful with the Brewers. He is rocking an OPS of .509 this year, his career OPS with Boston was .732.
I'm glad they let him go and the early returns are not good. This is JBJ we are talking about though. At some point, he will no longer be JBJ and a .509 OPS in 240 PA might be his true talent level. I'm not sure if that's now or not, but history shows us that JBJ goes on long stretches (150-300 PA sample) where he looks like one of the worst regulars ever. Those awful stretches usually take place after and are followed by long stretches where he looks like Mike Trout.

I can't really think of any players that go on hot and cold stretches so pronounced and so long than JBJ does. Brian Daubach was bad but he has nothing on JBJ.
 

OurF'ingCity

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I'm happy for Jackie for landing that Brewers deal and happy for Chaim for finding suitable replacements at lower cost. JBJ is almost certainly going to be a year-to-year player after this deal ends in 2022, where he'll bounce from team to team and we'll see one of his patented highlight catches on MLB Tonight and be like 'Oh yeah, I forgot that Jackie plays for the Diamondbacks now'.
Depends how bad his offense is between now and then. If he can put up even like a .700-ish OPS then yeah he can be a Kevin Pillar type that bounces around from team to team. But if he can't get his OPS above .650 or so he really shouldn't be a full-time major leaguer regardless of how good his defense is.
 

Coachster

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Kike is at .697 OPS, and thats after a pretty good week. Marwin is at .568. Danny Santana is at .491. Sometimes two of those guys are in the lineup at the same time. I know JBJ would have been a little expensive, but his CF defense might have been worth the low OPS. Hell, we have the low OPS now, and absolutely shitty defense in center.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Kike is at .697 OPS, and thats after a pretty good week. Marwin is at .568. Danny Santana is at .491. Sometimes two of those guys are in the lineup at the same time. I know JBJ would have been a little expensive, but his CF defense might have been worth the low OPS. Hell, we have the low OPS now, and absolutely shitty defense in center.
A .697 OPS aint what it used to be. It's good for an OPS+ of 89. He's another good week away from being an average hitter. It's also light years away from a .509 OPS, and a 41 OPS+. Enrique should not be lumped in with Marwin, Santana or JBJ for production to date.

Even if you happen to think Enrique, Marwin and Santana were the wrong decisions, it doesn't make signing JBJ the correct one. Maybe he rebounds, but atm, passing looks like the correct move. This is more true if Duran works out.
 

YTF

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Kike is at .697 OPS, and thats after a pretty good week. Marwin is at .568. Danny Santana is at .491. Sometimes two of those guys are in the lineup at the same time. I know JBJ would have been a little expensive, but his CF defense might have been worth the low OPS. Hell, we have the low OPS now, and absolutely shitty defense in center.
I think you're speaking from your heart, not your head and i get it. Jackie was a joy to watch during his time with The Sox, but a 24 million dollar commitment over two years is more than a little expensive for what he brings to the table. Had last season been a normal year and he was able to come close to what he did in '19, he still probably wouldn't be back as Chaim likely would have tried to move him at the deadline.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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A .697 OPS aint what it used to be. It's good for an OPS+ of 89. He's another good week away from being an average hitter. It's also light years away from a .509 OPS, and a 41 OPS+. Enrique should not be lumped in with Marwin, Santana or JBJ for production to date.

Even if you happen to think Enrique, Marwin and Santana were the wrong decisions, it doesn't make signing JBJ the correct one. Maybe he rebounds, but atm, passing looks like the correct move. This is more true if Duran works out.
Agreed. That's $10.75M in total salary vs at least $13M (or $24M+ over two years) + two other players.

I was one who advocated for re-signing JBJ at a reasonable price (and I didn't think $10-12M AAV was unreasonable). But Bloom made the decision to spend the money on three more versatile players. Players that to this point have been disappointing, but still have been a more efficient use of the money from a roster building perspective.