Former Red Sox CF Jackie Bradley Jr. Reportedly Signs Blue Jays Contract

After being released by the Boston Red Sox last week, veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has found a new home in the same division.

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Bradley is signing with one of Boston's AL East rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Prior to being released Thursday, Bradley was in his second stint in Boston after being acquired along with two minor leaguers last December as part of a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Hunter Renfroe. The 32-year-old was a staple in the Red Sox lineup from 2013 to 2020.

Bradley earned an All-Star selection in 2016 and a Gold Glove Award in 2018. That season, he helped lead Boston to a World Series title, earning ALCS MVP honors along the way.

Despite Bradley's stature within the Red Sox organization, his struggles at the plate this season made it hard to keep him on the roster. At the time of his release, he was hitting .210 with three home runs and 29 RBI in 92 games while making $9.5 million on the contract he had signed with Milwaukee.

"He had some stretches at home that were good. Obviously, he struggled toward the end," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We weren't able to get him to be consistent hitting the ball the other way. This year, there weren't too many strikeouts. But toward the end, there were a lot of ground balls to the pull side. Offensively, it just didn't work out."

The left-handed hitter joins a Blue Jays team that is second in the AL East with a 60-49 record entering Tuesday. Toronto has an opening in center field with George Springer on the injured list with an inflamed elbow.

Bradley should fill in adequately until Springer returns, and once that happens, he can provide some outfield depth for the Blue Jays as they chase a wild-card spot.