The wingless fall of former Gold Glove (GG) outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. continues.
The Kansas City Royals officially released Bradley Jr. on July 17 (KST). Bradley Jr. was designated for assignment (DFA) on Nov. 13, putting a question mark over his future. He joined Kansas City on a minor league deal in January and made it to the big leagues, but was designated for assignment after a long stretch of struggles. In 43 games, Bradley Jr. is batting .133 (14-for-105) with one home run and six RBIs. His on-base percentage (0.188) and slugging percentage (0.212) combine for a low .397 OPS.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting just .196 over the last four years. Getty Images안전놀이터
In his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Bradley Jr. was an All-Star. That year, he batted .267 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs. In 2018, he won the American League (AL) GG for outfielders. He was once one of the best outfielders in the big leagues, but his career took a turn for the worse when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in March 2021. He returned to Boston in a trade in December 2021.
However, it was beyond recovery. He landed in Kansas City after a difficult stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, and again, there was no rebound. For his career (11 years), Bradley Jr. batted .225 with 109 home runs and 449 RBIs in 1181 games. His first seven years, he batted .236 with 91 home runs and 354 RBIs. His last four years have been more of a struggle, with a .196 average with 18 homers and 95 RBIs.
Meanwhile, to coincide with the Bradley Jr. release, Kansas City signed independent league infielder Adeiny Echevarria to a minor league contract. Echevarria is a nine-year veteran of the big leagues.