What Jackie Bradley Jr. said about testing free agency

The Red Sox want Jackie Bradley Jr. to remain with the team for a “long time,” said chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Monday, after the MLB trade deadline had passed.

The news that the Red Sox want him to stick around was apparently news to Bradley, who says he has not received an offer for a contract extension from the team. Bradley told reporters Wednesday night, “That was just something they communicated with y’all. At this point I’ll be a free agent in a couple of weeks and the cool thing about free agency is you get to weigh out your options.”

Bradley says he knows his worth on any team, including the Red Sox. The Gold Glove-winning outfielder said he’s ready to see what happens on the open market.

“We’ll see. It’s something that you definitely have to set everything out in front of you. Look at the pros, the cons, seeing what’s best for you and your family,” he said

“I made it this far. I might as well become a free agent.”

Bradley has been a standout defensive center fielder for the Red Sox. Many of his catches are remarkable, and his presence in center, as noted by the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, “allows the corner outfielders to cheat a step or two to the line, which makes them more effective.”

Yet, the dimensions in Fenway may be limiting to Bradley’s defensive game. The Globe’s Alex Speier tweeted that even Bradley is aware of this.

He’s a talent that the Red Sox don’t want to lose, yet, they have not made him a contract offer that has “caused him to want to stay here”, said team president Sam Kennedy on Thursday while appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show”.

When asked about why he was not traded, Kennedy reiterated Bloom’s point.

“We really want Jackie Bradley a part of this team long-term, so I think that factored into the discussions more than anything,” he said. “There’s been interest in Jackie. He has been with us a decade-plus. There’s been interest in him as a player at different trade deadlines over the years and trade conversations in the offseason, but we have not made a deal for him in large part because of what he means to the Red Sox from a baseball perspective. He’s incredibly talented. Again, two-time World Series champion.

“We have engaged in discussions, we listen on all players, but we did not have any deal for Jackie at this trade deadline or any others that made sense for us.”