The Toronto Blue Jays are signing outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith has learned, building further on the changes the club has made in its push to be a contender in the post-season.
The club later confirmed it, announcing a one-year, major-league deal for Bradley Jr., who was released by the Boston Red Sox last Thursday, a move that came as the Red Sox looked to make room on their 40-man roster and provide more playing time for emerging outfielder Jaren Duran.
That marked Bradley Jr.'s second stint with the team, having originally been drafted by Boston with the No. 40 pick in the 2011 amateur draft. He broke into the majors with the Red Sox in 2013 and helped the team win the World Series in 2018.
But Bradley Jr. struggled to produce at the plate in his most recent run with the Red Sox, slashing .210/.257/.321 with three home runs and 29 RBI through 92 games.
Bradley Jr. agreed to a $24 million, two-year contract with Milwaukee in March 2021 and played one season for the Brewers before he was traded to Boston in December.
Terms of his agreement with the Blue Jays were not immediately known.
The 32-year-old Bradley is a .228 hitter with 107 homers and 434 RBIs in 1,098 Major League games. He was the MVP of the 2018 AL Championship Series and won the AL Gold Glove in centre-field that same year.
