The Mets have reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Sean W. Alcide was the first to report the news, which was later confirmed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Bradley, who had been playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, will report to Triple-A Syracuse.
Bradley has not played in affiliated ball since he was released by the Royals last June. He went 14-for-105 (.133) with a .397 OPS over 43 games that season. His always-excellent outfield defense (1.000 fielding percentage, 4 OAA) was not enough to make up for his lifeless bat, even on a Royals club that ranked among the worst offensive teams in the league. However, Bradley has shown signs of life for the Ducks, with whom he went 66-for-165 (.400) with 12 home runs and 28 extra-base hits in 40 games. As Will Sammon of The Athletic pointed out, he was in the middle of a 28-game hitting streak, the longest in Ducks history. Needless to say, Bradley wasn’t facing MLB-caliber pitching in the Atlantic League, but his strong performance was enough to entice New York.
The Mets already have a full-time center fielder, Harrison Bader, and a star corner outfielder capable of handling center, Brandon Nimmo. However, their outfield options are far less promising after those two names. Starling Marte has been on the injured list since June. While he was hitting relatively well over his first 66 games this year, his defense (-9 OAA, -9 DRS) has become a major liability. The four others who have played the outfield for the Mets this year, Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart, Jeff McNeil, and Ben Gamel, have combined for a .211/.291/.347 slash line. Only Stewart has a league-average batting line (100 wRC+), while only Taylor (1 OAA, 5 DRS) has positive defensive metrics. Considering that the only other outfielder on the team’s 40-man roster is 21-year-old Alex Ramírez at Double-A, it’s hardly surprising the Mets sought some additional outfield depth.
The Mets will be the fifth organization of Bradley’s career, after stints with the Red Sox, Brewers, Blue Jays, and Royals. He has a career .684 OPS and 82 wRC+ and has not been an above-average hitter since 2020; it is hard to imagine that will change in his age-34 campaign. However, if he is selected to the Mets roster at some point this season, the team can likely count on his elite glove and strong arm to provide defensive value in the outfield. As Bob Nightengale of USA Today points out, Bradley is 115 days away from reaching 10 years of MLB service. Not only is 10 years of service time a major milestone, but it is the point at which players fully qualify for the pension plan. He won’t reach that mark this season, but with a strong performance this year, Bradley could extend his MLB career into 2025.