BOSTON — The Red Sox’s reported trade for outfielder Alejandro De Aza has little, if anything, to do with Jackie Bradley Jr.’s shortcomings and more to do with implementing the best short-term solution.
Boston needs a left-handed-hitting outfielder with Daniel Nava on the disabled list (and before that, not producing against right-handed pitching like he normally does). Bradley is raking at Triple-A Pawtucket, but relying on the 25-year-old as a fourth/fifth outfielder in the majors makes zero sense based on recent history. The Red Sox thus took advantage of another opportunity to add a veteran option.
Bradley went 0-for-11 in his first big league call-up this season after a hot start with Pawtucket. One could argue it’s a reflection of who he is as a player — capable of shredding minor league hurlers but incapable of hitting major league pitching — and it wouldn’t be the craziest argument ever. After all, Bradley has done little to suggest he’ll ever become an adept major league hitter.
But it’s also possible Bradley struggled in his most recent call-up because of the inconsistency with which he was deployed. Bradley made just three starts — the Sox faced five left-handers in a seven-game span on the West Coast — and appeared in just six games, preventing him from developing any semblance of rhythm after playing nearly every day during Pawtucket’s opening month.
Based on that information, it would be foolish to recall Bradley right now, reinstall him in a similar manner and expect improved results. It’s become a bit cliché, but Bradley is at a point in his career where he needs consistent at-bats. (Such could be said of any mid-20s position player teetering on the edge of the majors and Triple-A, but it’s especially true of someone like Bradley, whose offensive development is paramount in his ability to transition from one level to the next because his defense already is elite.) Bradley wouldn’t garner those regular at-bats serving as Nava’s replacement in Boston.
The Red Sox acquired left-handed-hitting outfielder Carlos Peguero last week with this in mind. But while Peguero has intriguing power, there’s a reason he’s spent the bulk of his professional career in the minors. He has deficiencies — most notably, his swing-and-miss rate — that have been exposed in The Show.
De Aza, who was designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles last week, is an upgrade over Peguero, if only because he has a more proven major league track record. Sure, De Aza also has his flaws — he has struck out at an alarming rate with the O’s this season and his defense never really has been a strong suit — but his ceiling is that of a league-average player. The 31-year-old definitely is a viable bench option, especially within a limited market and in comparison to an unproven quantity like Peguero.
Bradley will find his way back to Boston this season someway, somehow. This just isn’t an ideal time for JBJ’s return for the purposes of what the Red Sox need, in turn forcing general manager Ben Cherington to continue to scour the trade market — a process that led the Sox to De Aza.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
