Jackie Bradley Jr. is experienced enough to know it’s best not to tip his hand at this point in time.
The Boston Red Sox center fielder on Thursday addressed the uncertainty over his long-term future with the team, telling The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey he’ll approach the offseason with a wait-and-see attitude. Bradley can become a free agent after next season, and his name has been bandied about in trade rumors in recent years. Nevertheless, he knows a number of pieces must fall into place before he and the Red Sox will be able to determine his future in Boston.
“You always think about it,” Bradley said. “You might not always share what you’re thinking. But I guess I’ll find out when you find out, too. It’s one of those things you just have to wait and see what happens.”
The Red Sox paid Bradley $8.55 million in 2019 through arbitration, and his salary probably will rise next season, according to McCaffrey. However, he admitted to WEEI’s Rob Bradford in July the Red Sox hadn’t offered him a contract extension, and that dynamic is unlikely to have changed since then.
For now, as usual, Bradley has little choice but to play the waiting game.
