Should Jackie Bradley Jr be traded?

[Bellhorn04]

I'm all for extending Bradley, never mind trading him. ..

 

I hear you. The question is how can they pay Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, Sale, Price, Porcello, and then Benintendi etcetera...

[moonslav59]

I'm all for extending Bradley, never mind trading him. ..

 

I second that!

 

Then, trade him!

 

LOL, just kiddin'!

[moonslav59]

I hear you. The question is how can they pay Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, Sale, Price, Porcello, and then Benintendi etcetera...

 

Since JBJ is not worth "anything more than a 4th starter", he should cost peanuts.

[Bellhorn04]

Since JBJ is not worth "anything more than a 4th starter", he should cost peanuts.

 

JBJ's price does depend a lot on his offensive numbers. If he gets back to being an .800 OPS guy, he becomes very expensive indeed.

[notin]

I hear you. The question is how can they pay Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, Sale, Price, Porcello, and then Benintendi etcetera...

 

They don't extend them all.

 

But if you could extend one and only one from Bradley, Bogaerts and Porcello, who would it be?

[Bellhorn04]

They don't extend them all.

 

But if you could extend one and only one from Bradley, Bogaerts and Porcello, who would it be?

 

Good question - I'd narrow it to Bradley and Bogaerts, but then I'd have to know the approx. price tags to decide.

[S5Dewey]

Bradley shouldn't be traded during this season regardless IMO.

 

I think his offensive numbers are going to end up just fine too...

 

Trading him is such a bad idea that I have to wonder if this would even be discussed if there weren't a thread dedicated to it.

[Emp9]

Good question - I'd narrow it to Bradley and Bogaerts, but then I'd have to know the approx. price tags to decide.

 

I say I’d extend JBJ. 1) I think his extension would be easier to afford than an XB extension. 2) We could tolerate better up the middle infield defense (improving our overall up the middle defense while keeping JBJ) at the cost of sacrificing some offense.

[moonslav59]

JBJ's price does depend a lot on his offensive numbers. If he gets back to being an .800 OPS guy, he becomes very expensive indeed.

 

I was joking. (I forgot the "sarcasm alert")

 

Yes, If JBJ hits .800 the next 2 years that would put him at .800+ in 4 of 5 years. He'd get a nice extension or FA contract.

[moonslav59]

Trading him is such a bad idea that I have to wonder if this would even be discussed if there weren't a thread dedicated to it.

 

As much as I'd hate to trade JBJ: he's maybe my favorite current Sox player, there are some aspects that make the idea worth discussion. I'll take "the other side" for a moment:

 

1) Other GMs value JBJ as much as we do. They ask about him all the time. They'd give something good for 2.5 years of a cost-controlled comodity like JBJ.

 

2) If we could fill a big need area by trading JBJ, the plus we gain in that area might outweigh the negative we get in OF defense and perhaps offense (hitting & running combined).

 

3) JD wants to play the OF, and keeping a $25M player content and feeling like he's "in the game" might have some value.

 

4) If Moreland/Nunez combined are better hitters than JBJ, then trading JBJ could mean an upgrade in offense plus at whatever position we upgrade in the return we get from trading JBJ.

 

The final equation might look like this:

 

Con: way worse OF defense by downgrading CF (JBJ to Beni) and LF (Beni to Jmart/Nunez/Swihart)

 

Plus: Possible improved offense by playing Moreland (1B, HRam DH, JMart LF) & Nunez instead of JBJ.

 

Plus: upgrade a high need area with the return we get from the JBJ trade.

 

The issue now is, what is our "high need area?" Do we even ahve one?

 

1) Farm (Doesn't help us in our current window)

2) Pen? (We have Thornburg and Poyner coming back from the DL and some nice arms in AAA. We also have Johnson, Velazquez & Wright moving to the pen)

3) SP? (We have perhaps the best top 3 SP'ers in MLB and a pretty awesome 4 & 5. Wright, Johnson & Velazquez look like nice starter depth right now.

4) Catcher offense? (Personally, I don't ever worry about catcher offense, if the defense is great and our pitchers are doing great with whoever we have behind the plate.)

 

 

[FredLynn]

Trading him is such a bad idea that I have to wonder if this would even be discussed if there weren't a thread dedicated to it.

 

I don't think trading him is out of the question at all. Despite his recent tear his OPS is just .733 overall-which is an acceptable though not outstanding number for someone whose dWAR so far this year is -0.2 and whose dWAR over six seasons averages less than 1.0. Bradley is a very good CF; he is not the best in the game. If we could get a haul from another team I would consider trading him-not now, but at the trade deadline.

[Emp9]

“Bradley is a very good CF; he is not the best in the game”

 

I say it a little differently: “Bradley is a very good CF; he is not far from the best in the game”

[moonslav59]

“Bradley is a very good CF; he is not the best in the game”

 

I say it a little differently: “Bradley is a very good CF; he is not far from the best in the game”

 

I say, "There are many great defensive CF'ers in MLB today, and although JBJ is not the best, he is one of the great ones."

Edited April 21, 2018 by moonslav59

[Emp9]

I say, "There are many great defensive CF'ers in MLB today, and although JBJ is not the best, he is one of the great ones."

 

 

Does UZR & DRS rate Fenway’s RF more difficult than Fenway’s CF? Is there some difficulty-adjustment that I’m missing?

[moonslav59]

Does UZR & DRS rate Fenway’s RF more difficult than Fenway’s CF? Is there some difficulty-adjustment that I’m missing?

 

I'm not sure. I'm thinking that since RF is so big, it might be easier to get to more balls, so your rating might be higher. (Opposite of LF)

[jad]

As much as I'd hate to trade JBJ: he's maybe my favorite current Sox player, there are some aspects that make the idea worth discussion. I'll take "the other side" for a moment:

 

4) If Moreland/Nunez combined are better hitters than JBJ, then trading JBJ could mean an upgrade in offense plus at whatever position we upgrade in the return we get from trading JBJ.

...

 

 

I get the idea, but then there's also the reality that defensively Nunland is not equal to JBJ even if you put both of them in CF at once (since only one of them will be able to throw on each play).

[Kimmi]

Given the Sox roster, Martinez should play LF add little as possible. And the team should absolutely not trade Bradley just to get JD into the outfield.

 

Now if something useful can be had for Bradley, that could potentially be another situation altogether. ...

 

Any player should potentially be traded for the right price or if the return player will significantly upgrade the team as a whole. Not that I want Jackie traded.

[OH FOY]

He's going in the right direction, love that he's trying to cut his K's. When he striking out, he's in trouble.

Last 7 days, .294

Last 14 days .324

Only 4 K's in that time, 34 at bats. Much better.

This kid could hit, just start having a plan with every at bat.

Edited April 21, 2018 by OH FOY!

[moonslav59]

I get the idea, but then there's also the reality that defensively Nunland is not equal to JBJ even if you put both of them in CF at once (since only one of them will be able to throw on each play).

 

LOL.

 

Nunez would not play CF. Beni would and Nunez would play in LF.

[moonslav59]

He's going in the right direction, love that he's trying to cut his K's. When he striking out, he's in trouble.

Last 7 days, .294

Last 14 days .324

Only 4 K's in that time, 34 at bats. Much better.

This kid could hit, just start having a plan with every at bat.

 

He's got a long swing. To me, it looks nice, but he never shortens it situationally.

 

I'm not sure trying to change his swing or mechanics would help. It could hurt.

 

I'm fine with him continuing his current approach, sluming here and there and playing stellar defense with an OPS around .700. I think he can repeat .800+, but I don't feel he needs to hit .800 to be a big plus on this team.

[moonslav59]

I don't think that he has hurt us much out there so far. However Cora wants to use the guy works for me.

 

We're pushing our luck.

 

He's bound to make a meaninful boo-boo at some point.

 

I'm fine with putting him out there in NL parks, but I'd avoid it as much as possible otherwise.

[SoxHop]

There is also a certain entertainment value to JBJ. He has the most "O my God how did he do that" plays on the team. If he ever was traded, it better be for a signigicant upgrade in wins, otherwise I'd just rather have fun watching him on D all season.

 

I'm glad he's hitting, I hope he keeps it up.

[Slasher9]

JBj is the best CFer I have ever seen (defensively). Stats be damned....

[Spudboy]

There is also a certain entertainment value to JBJ. He has the most "O my God how did he do that" plays on the team. If he ever was traded, it better be for a signigicant upgrade in wins, otherwise I'd just rather have fun watching him on D all season.

 

I'm glad he's hitting, I hope he keeps it up.

 

Yup.

[Emp9]

Perhaps its the situational-neutrality of these metrics? UZR is Situation-neutral On purpose and for good reasons. Is there a LI for OF Defense that one could include alongside with UZR?

[moonslav59]

JBj is the best CFer I have ever seen (defensively). Stats be damned....

 

JBJ is the best Sox defensive CF'er I've ever seen.

 

I've seen Fred Lynn, Darren Lewis, Rick Miller, Ellis Burks, Otis Nixon, Darren Bragg, Damon Buford, Mile Cameron, Coco Crisp & Ryan Sweeney.

 

 

I've seen better CF'ers on other teams over my 50 years of watching baseball.

[moonslav59]

Since they began UZR/150, here are the top UZR/150 seasons by Sox CF'ers:

600+ innings

 

25.3 Crisp 2007

17.1 JBJ 2014

16.1 Ellsbury 2011

8.1 JBJ 2016

3.5 JBJ 2017

 

[jad]

JBJ is the best Sox defensive CF'er I've ever seen.

 

I've seen Fred Lynn, Darren Lewis, Rick Miller, Ellis Burks, Otis Nixon, Darren Bragg, Damon Buford, Mile Cameron, Coco Crisp & Ryan Sweeney.

 

 

I've seen better CF'ers on other teams over my 50 years of watching baseball.

 

How about Mays? I only saw him towards the end. (Not a lot of Giants games on tv in Maine in the 50s.) Of RS of that era, Pearsall was pretty great to watch (but hard to judge in terms of modern players).

[cp176]

Mays was the best all round baseball player that I have ever seen. Now you understand that I don't need to quantify everything with supportive stats - I love the game and I love what I personally can interpret. Fred Lynn was the best cf that I have seen in Boston. I never saw Dom Dimaggio but have heard and read that he was also outstanding. No question in my mind though about the "say hey kid" . The expression 5 tool player would have had a picture of Mays beside it if we had used these types of expressions back then.

[SoxHop]

Mays was the best all round baseball player that I have ever seen. Now you understand that I don't need to quantify everything with supportive stats - I love the game and I love what I personally can interpret. Fred Lynn was the best cf that I have seen in Boston. I never saw Dom Dimaggio but have heard and read that he was also outstanding. No question in my mind though about the "say hey kid" . The expression 5 tool player would have had a picture of Mays beside it if we had used these types of expressions back then.

 

Lynn played the field better than JBJ? I know Lynn was a superb athelete, I was too young to watch him. I'm just interested.