He's had a great spring, but it will help his confidence to tell him that he still needs to play more minor league baseball so he can learn to become an everyday MLB palyer like Gomes and Shane and Ellsbury. The kids has a lot to learn, when it comes to being ready to play MLB. The Red Sox have three outstanding veteran OF'ers who are total professionals and talented producers. They have the 100% confidence of management and fans, who are optimistic about the Red Sox contending for the AL East division title.

Like a child waiting for Christmas in November.  Geez, it's only until May 1st.  Cinderella's cleats should still fit then too.

Softy--that was a very positive statement about JBJ and "three outstanding veteran outfielders."

JBJ will be 23 in April and played college ball at the the Univ. of South Carolina.

Mike Trout will turn 22 in August and has been producing at a very high level since he arrived on the scene. What's to wait for--JBJ knows how to play the game. Without Ortiz in the lineup they may have to play more small ball. With Ells, Vic, Pedroia and JBJ in the lineup to cause havoc and Nap, Salty, Gomes and WMB as a power supply in addition to a solid pen and some decent starting pitching-the Sox may be able to stay in the hunt until Ortiz is ready by the All Star break.

In an ideal world perhaps send your best ST hitter to the minors--but they are sending one of their stars to rehab for a couple of months. I think I read someplace that if this injury is Achilles related and Ortiz misses a month or two the contract for year 1 is reduced by a few Mill.

Please let's not compare JBJ to Mike Trout.

Nobody does sarcasm like Softy.  He's the best.  What a great poster.

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

Not really comparing the two other than age and previous experience.

Look at the Angels in 2012---sent Trout to the minors called him up in May , perhaps late April. 

In any event he missed 23 games last season they missed the WC by 4 games. No telling if he had been there from day 1 of 2012 if it would have made a difference. They did win 89 games--how many more might he have helped them win?

I feel if you put your best 25 players out there you have your best chance of winning than if you put your best 20 something. 

In response to MadMc44's comment:

And the Angels saved a year of control over Trout in doing so.

The Sox should do the same with JBJ. Let play in AAA and see how he, and the guys in Boston do in the first couple of months.

So let me get this straight, JBJ has the talent and skill to play in MLB.  JBJ should be kept in the minors to learn more about playing baseball, honing his talents or skills?  I wonder if Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffy Jr. or Willie Mays would have suffered the same thought affliction?  Oh yes ok,  JBJ is no Trout, certainly no Mantle, Griffy Jr. or Mays, but if he is showing he is ready let him play.  The Red Sox are going to be a .500 team anyway, JBJ can learn in the majors.  

Mays had 1 hit in his first 25 at bats, my goodness he would be in the minors today with the above logic.  

suggesting a player who showed holes in double A last year is MLB ready because he is smashing it in spring training is just ill informed.  Has he proved he is good, promising, and capable of continuing an aggressive path YES! but that doesn't mean we should just jump him from a half season of AA ball to the big leagues.  Let him start the season in AAA, see more pitches in real live game action from better competition and let him get a call up mid season (possibly earlier if injurys). 

I know it's easy to get excited with young players, but there is more to determining if a player is ready than just scouting the box scores and seeing good numbers. 

In response to islamorada's comment:

Spring Training sucess does not guarantee ML sucess.

He hasn't played a single game at AAA, neven mind the majors

He's not quite 23.

Can we let him tear up Pawtucket for a couple of months, before giving him a starting job?

If the Sox are going to be a .500 club anyway, you're wasting a year of control, so he can learn.

Not a good strategy, IMO.

I guess the date for the extra year is April 23?

My heart says to hell with the date, put the kid in the starting lineup April 1st!

My head says we will likely be waiting most of the season??

Review Dustin Pedroia: Drafted in 2004--Maj. League call-up '06.

Plays 139 games hits .317 in '07. Sox sign him to a 6 year deal in '08  for $40 M. Enough of the TEAM CONTROL. They recognized talent and signed him buying out the Arb Years.

JBJ is the same age-both played at good baseball universities--granted he is a Boras client--this kid may be a bust or the opportunity arises and the Marlins want JBJ, Xander, RDLR and Barnes for Stanton---then let someone else worry about Boras and the Team Control years.

It's doesn't matter he showed some holes in minor leagues.  He's the best player in ST right now.  Not Mike Trout, not Bryce Harper.  saying JBJ is not ready is just disrepecting his hardwork.  Who cares if it's ST?  He's working his @$$ off proving that he knows how to play and get love from the fans.  His OBP is over .610 for cry sake.  He deserves his chance more than anyone on the team right now and the fans deserve to see him against the Yankees on 4/1.  Since when was baseball about controlling young players under team's control?  If he showed he can help the team, then he has every right to play for the major league team.  

In response to ThefourBs' comment:

AAA success does not always guarantee ML success either. 

In response to seannybboi's comment:

Neither does spring training, or double A, or single A for that matter.  But what else do we have to go on? without any scouting reports or insight from those in the know, we are all just box score scouting here.  

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

In response to carnie's comment:

Just because a player happens to have a slump at the end of a season, does not prove he can't handle a long season. I'm not saying you are wrong, but players slump all the time for various reasons.

I agree that he should play CF, but there is another way to make that happen other than injury: trade Ellsbury while the draft pick is still in play.

In response to moonslav59's comment:

I wasn't saying he can't handle a long season. I was saying that last year was his first long season and that he started out in Portland much like he has in ST this year and as the season wore on he injured his ankle and slumped. As for trading Ellsbury before the season starts, I'm pretty sure you know how I feel about selling low on him. If we could move Gomes (the one signing this winter I really didn't understand) then you could move Ells to LF and have JBJ play CF. In any case I don't think it would be good for the team or his development to have Jackie playing a position other than CF.

In response to carnie's comment:

Why does he need to spend time in CF with Ells playing CF in Boston? He still has two plus weeks of ST where he will see ML pitchers every day as  ST winds down. ST might be a chance for him to get comfortable with all three OF positions. It would be unusual for players to skip AAA and go from AA to the Majors, it would not be unprecedented.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_players_who_went_directly_to_the_major_leagues

I could not find a list of players that have moved from AA to the Majors--perhaps someone may have that list available. There are some pretty impressive names of players that have gone directly to the majors. Today with larger bonuses and greater investments in the players teams want to error on the side of  caution.

In response to MadMc44's comment:

He needs to play CF because he's already a gold glove caliber CF and will probably only get better. Now don't get me wrong because I really like Ellsbury, but he will never be the CF JBJ is already. He gets bad reads on balls, although to be fair, he's been able to make up for that flaw with his wheels so far. He also has a very weak arm. I think this is his last year in Boston, but if he stays I think it's as a LF not CF. As far as guys making the jump from AA, I know Bob Stanley did it, and Tony C came straight up from A ball. I can't really think of any modern examples though.

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

I posted yesterday that we need to see what happens the rest of ST when JBJ is facing the pitchers going north with their clubs and those pitchers are throwing all theri pitches....JF said that yesterday so it would seem to me that he hasnt ruled out the possibility of JBJ making the team. I am all for lettign our baseball guys decide whther JBJ needs more AB's in AAA, but please stop with the year of Control stuff.....the Sox are not the Royals or the Rays....this team has the resources to sign players long term well before their FA year.....if a player is judged good enough to be a everyday starter on a team that does not have 3 OF's who are everyday starters, then finances be darned....this is a team which is desperate need of a good start to the season or the media hounds willl be all over them...if JBJ can be the difference between a 16-11 April and a 13-14 April he should be on the team.....and since he adds superior OF defense to whoever would replace him.....superior speed to whoever would replace him and probably superior OBP numbers to his replacement, personally I think he should.

In response to carnie's comment:

 

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

 

Most real stars make the jump from AA. No need for him to go to AAA.

 

I don't think Bradley would have any problem playing right or left for the time being and moving back to center at some point. It's not that big a deal. His defense is not ever going to be a problem.  The main thing is that he plays every day against good pitching. Right now, he looks like is ready to play every day for the Sox.  They will probably do the expected and send him down for more " seasoning " , but I think he has earned a shot to start in Boston. It is not as if he is some unknown who is having a hot spring. This is what we have been expecting from him.  Putting our best team on the field should trump long  term player control issues.