As the New York Mets prepare to hold onto the final National League Wild Card spot, the team makes a bold move, signing a former World Series Champion to the club.
First reported by Sean W. Alcide and later confirmed by Mike Mayer of Metsmerized, the Mets have signed veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to a minor league deal.
Bradley Jr. has spent this past season playing in the Atlantic League. In 40 games with the Long Island Ducks, he has boasted a .400/.476/.727 slash line with 12 home runs, 35 runs batted in, and an OPS of 1.204.
Despite having played for four Major League Baseball teams, Bradley Jr. is most remembered for his time with the Boston Red Sox, where he was an All-Star (2016), Gold Glove Award winner (2018), ALCS MVP (2018), and World Series champion (2018).
Bradley Jr.'s last tenure in MLB was with the Kansas City Royals in 2023, where he batted .133/.188/.210 with 29 strikeouts in 105 at-bats. His OPS was the lowest of his career, coming in at .397.
The Mets currently have five outfielders on their active roster: Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, DJ Stewart, Tyrone Taylor, and Ben Gamel.
Hopefully, Bradley Jr. will be able to help a team on the cusp of the playoffs by either returning to his past greatness on the field or lighting a fire under the struggling Stewart, Taylor, and Gamel.
