Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. hasn't done much at all at the plate in a limited sample size for the big club in 2015, but he's tearing the cover off the ball at AAA Pawtucket (.310/.385/.483) and reportedly drawing major interest around the Majors as teams look for young, dynamic talent.
"As great of a defender as he is, there's always things that come up as far as game management, as far as running the bases, as far as an offensive standpoint," Bradley's AAA manager, Kevin Boles said. "Moving runners, playing the short game – I think he's a guy who could be more aggressive on the basepaths. He has his game speed, but I think he could take more risks, just for me personally. I think he could take more risks on the basepaths.
"But has he done well this year? Absolutely. Is he on people's minds throughout the industry? Absolutely. He's come a long way in 12 months and done a great job."
Bradley, 25, has come a long way since ending the 2014 season below the Mendoza Line (.198 batting average) in 423 plate appearances. Whether that's enough for Boston to keep him in their own future plans or whether they decide to use him as trade bait in their search from front-line starting pitching (i.e. Cole Hamels) remains up in the air right now.
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