Jackie Bradley Jr. Trade Rumors: Royals Interested as Red Sox Target Power Bat

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly let teams know that outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is available in trade talks as they pursue power in the middle of their lineup.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported "several" teams have had discussions with the Red Sox regarding Bradley. Rob Bradford of WEEI added the Kansas City Royals have interest, but there does not appear to be an obvious fit.

Bradley, 27, hit .245/.323/.402 with 17 home runs and 63 runs batted in last season. Those numbers were a bit of an offensive downturn from his breakout 2016, which saw him perform like one of the best players in baseball.

The Red Sox were never serious suitors for Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning NL MVP who was traded to the rival New York Yankees last week. However, they're known to be in the market for some additional power in their lineup. Their designated hitter spot was one of the weakest in baseball last season, and no Red Sox player hit more than 24 home runs.

Boston's 168 home runs as a team were the fourth-worst total in baseball and by far the lowest for a playoff team. The power outage was one determining factor in the Red Sox being eliminated in the ALDS for the second straight season.

Bradley is perhaps the best defensive center fielder in the sport, with his brilliance atoning for oftentimes inconsistent play in the batters box. Andrew Benintendi, also a stellar defensive outfielder, would likely take over in center field if the Red Sox parted with Bradley.

“We like our outfield,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “Now, again, you’re always open-minded to anything. That’s why you have to sit down with clubs, you have conversations with them, hear what they have to say.”

The Yankees' acquisition of Stanton, which gives them MLB's top two home run hitters from last season, may have led to a change of heart from Dombrowski.