Earlier in the offseason a lot of trade rumors focused on Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. due to his breakout campaign in 2015. Boston has three talented outfielders and a lack of starting pitching, so it was assumed Dave Dombrowski would use that surplus to address the rotation.
Now that the team has reportedly signed outfielder Chris Young, 32, to a two-year, $13 million contract, will the Red Sox more aggressively pursue trades involving Bradley Jr. or even Rusney Castillo?
It's safe to say Mookie Betts isn't going anywhere. Bradley Jr. and Castillo may not be moved either, but it's at least something to keep in mind because paying Young an average annual salary of $6.5 million as a fourth outfielder is perhaps raising eyebrows.
"The Red Sox right now envision having Jackie Bradley Jr. in center, Mookie Betts in right, and Rusney Castillo in left," writes Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. "Betts is a player around whom teams are built. He's shown enough that his talent is viewed as a known quantity. Bradley and Castillo, on the other hand, represent players who require significant insurance policies."
"Betts is the only one Boston is committed to not trade and the only one who has shown he can be trusted at this point as a full-time major leaguer," adds Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Speier goes on to talk about how Bradley is still unproven since he batted .196 in his first 164 games in the MLB (2013 and 2014) and Castillo has yet to show his worth after signing a $72.5 million contract in August of 2014. Rumors have suggested the Red Sox may want to sell high on Bradley after his recent performance since he's under club control for a while and plays excellent defense. Castillo would be much harder to move given the money he's owed on top of his lack of MLB experience.
However, as of right now, it's assumed Young will serve as the fourth outfielder and provide insurance in the event of an injury to one of their current outfielders. Young is capable of playing all three outfield positions and he hits left-handed pitching very well, so it seems as if Dombrowski was willing to pay a decent amount of money to address an often overlooked roster need.
Bradley Jr. has played in only 238 MLB games and Castillo just 90, so the move to add Young for $13 million isn't as surprising as it seems at first glance. The Red Sox are paying Bradley Jr. and Betts next to nothing, which more than likely left room to pay for Young.
Dombrowski also noted earlier in the offseason that one of his goals was to sign a right-handed hitting veteran outfielder to join the team's young trio.
Yes, a trade is still certainly possible, but don't let the signing of Young make you think it's a foregone conclusion that Dombrowski is going to immediately work to move someone. Young filled in nicely for the New York Yankees last season when they dealt with injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, and the Red Sox may feel he can do just that, especially since Bradley Jr. and Castillo have a lot to prove.
