After George Springer, Jackie Bradley Jr. is the top free-agent center fielder. So it should come as little surprise that he is, indeed, getting plenty of interest.
Bradley Jr. has spent the entirety of his career in the Boston Red Sox organization, establishing himself over the years as one of the greatest defensive outfielders in franchise history.
But now he's a free agent, and it's a real possibility he’ll sign elsewhere. JBJ reportedly is a top priority of the Houston Astros, but the proverbial tires are getting kicked by a number of different teams.
That's according to an update Bradley Jr. shared on CBS Sports' "Fantasy Baseball Today" podcast with Danny Vietti and ex-Red Sox infielder Will Middlebrooks.
"I definitely have been able to hear from a couple of teams," Bradley Jr. said Wednesday, via WEEI.com. "That's good to know there is definitely interest, and interest from multiple teams. But I think as of right now things are kind of moving slow. As you can see, like NBA, they're making moves left and right. I think we all kind of knew that baseball would be slow. The last couple of days or so things have been very chill, very relaxed. Haven't heard much talk around the league right now. For me, that's fine. I'm a pretty patient guy. That hasn't been my main focus at the moment because I have a little one who is going to be here imminently and that's been my main focus for my family. All that other stuff is going to take care of itself."
Bradley long has been a streaky hitter. He finished 2020 with a .283 average with seven homers and 22 RBIs over 55 games in addition to providing his sterling defense.