The Red Sox and Brewers hooked up on a trade before the CBA expired, as Hunter Renfroe was sent to Milwaukee and Jackie Braldey Jr. and three prospects went to Boston.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers tried to dump Bradley in a variety of different trades for other outfielders, one of which was Randal Grichuk…
Before acquiring Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox, the Brewers dangled Jackie Bradley Jr. in trades for a variety of other outfielders, including the Blue Jays’ Randal Grichuk, sources said. Unlike the Renfroe deal, in which the Brewers parted with Bradley and two infield prospects, a Grichuk trade would have been one-for-one.
Bradley left the Red Sox last winter and signed a two-year deal with the Brewers worth $13,000,000 in 2021 and $11,000,000 in 2022. He was a mess in his first season in Milwaukee, slashing a .163/.236/.261 line, far and away the lowest figure of his career in each of those categories.
Renfroe had a down season in 2020, signed with the Red Sox last winter in free agency, and had a nice bounce back in 2021. In 144 games, Renfroe slashed a .259/.315/.501 line with 31 homers. He’ll be cheaper than Bradley and likely more productive and the difference between the two for Milwaukee was two depth prospects ranks No. 16 and 17 in their system.
The Grichuk note here is interesting because Rosenthal says that it would have been a one-for-one. Now, did Milwaukee come and offer a one-for-one swap of Grichuk and the Blue Jays declined? Or did they come looking for Grichuk and the Blue Jays said it would only be one-for-one and that they wouldn’t send anything back to Milwaukee to offset the fact Grichuk has an extra year on his contract? Or did they just decide Renfroe was better?
Who knows! But, ultimately, this report shows that moving Grichuk won’t be impossible, even in a deal for a player with less term on his contract.
Bradley will be paid $11,000,000 in 2022 and then he’ll be off the books while Grichuk will be paid $10,333,333 in 2022 and 2023 before his contract is finished. In my mind, a one-for-one swap of Grichuk and Bradley would be a win for the Blue Jays. Even if Bradley is worse at the plate, getting the financial commitment to end one year earlier would have made it a win.
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