"End of an era" "Nothing against him but last year he was one of the worst hitters" - Boston Red Sox fans divided on release of 2018 World Series hero Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Boston Red Sox have released Jackie Bradley Jr., one of the pivotal figures behind their 2018 World Series triumph.

The decision arrived only three days after Boston landed outfielder Tommy Pham from the Cincinnati Reds.

The Red Sox re-signed Bradley Jr. from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe. The trade also secured infield prospects Alex Binelas and David Hamilton for the Red Sox. The pair rank as Boston’s No. 22 and No. 26 prospects respectively.

Some fans are now looking back on the deal, implying that giving away Renfroe was a bad idea.

Bradley Jr. was a first-round draft pick by the Red Sox in 2011. He slowly developed into one of baseball’s finest defensive center fielders. His 50 Defensive Runs Saved between 2014 and 2017 ranked 10th among all outfielders. His high-light reel is packed with some of the best catches that you will ever see.

The 32-year-old received an All-Star call-up in 2016. He won a Gold Glove in 2018, and was a key contributor to the Red Sox’s World Series triumph that year.

Naturally, not everyone has forgotten about his contributions. Some fans reminisced about Bradley Jr.’s time in Boston, while also expressing their gratitude towards him.

However, his meager .210/.257/.321 slashline this term wasn’t enough to convince Boston not to pull the plug on their modern day legend.

Hunter Renfroe’s solid season highlights another trade gone wrong for the Boston Red Sox

Hunter Renfroe is having a great season so far with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is slashing .246/.299/.508 for a wRC+ of 120, coupled with 19 homers to his name.

Jarren Duran has been getting the bulk of the nods in Boston’s center field since mid-June. He has been slashing .232/.280/.384, which isn’t impressive either.

The acquisition of Tommy Pham is also likely to have played a part in Boston’s decision to show Bradley Jr. the door. It looks like their new regular outfield rotation will comprise Pham, Duran and Alex Verdugo.

If we are to evaluate the Renfroe-Bradley Jr. trade right away, it’s a no brainer. The Brewers are the undisputed winners of this deal. It will remain that way until and/or unless the development of Binelas and Hamilton blows everyone away.

The Boston Red Sox currently trail by three games in the American League wildcard race. They will be taking on the Kansas City Royals in a four-game series starting tonight.

About the author

Souvanik Seal is a senior journalist covering Major League Baseball (MLB) at Sportskeeda and began his media career at the age of 16. Since then, he has worked for some of the biggest publications in the world like Goal and Daily Mirror.

Souvanik also has an extensive background in Public Relations, having serviced brands like Eurosport, Spalding, Dunlop and Paytm. He has also managed PR deliverables for the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

Souvanik holds an MA in Journalism from Dublin City University and an MBA in Sports Management from EDC Paris Business School.

His list of favorites includes Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Alex Rodriguez, as well as Shohei Ohtani, Jose Altuve and Bryce Harper from the current crop. His favorite MLB moments include the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 (ending a 108-year drought), the Red Sox ending the 'Curse of Bambino,' and the Arizona Diamondbacks reaching the World Series in 2023.

Besides speaking English, Bengali and Hindi, Souvanik is also fluent in French.

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