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| Kim Klement /USA TODAY |
Three things are
forcing the Red Sox brass to seriously consider adding Jackie Bradley, Jr. to the Opening Day roster.
First, and most important, the kid is playing his way onto the team. Even after an 0 for 1 yesterday, he's still hitting .444.
Second, the increasingly likely scenario of having no
David Ortiz or
Stephen Drew by Opening Day. If
Jonny Gomes becomes the DH, the team will need a left-fielder. Hello, Jackie!
Third, the hue and cry of The Nation to let Bradley play and at least give fans something to look forward in this upcoming dismal season. So, all of this stacked against the 'downside' of a slightly earlier free agency date (2018 instead of 2019) makes for a no-brainer. If Bradley is going to be as good as we think, they'd have to extend him before free agency anyway. Or, they could send him down to the minors for at least 20 days this year to push free agency to 2019. Either way, the team has got to end its inane tradition of keeping talent in the minors too long. Bradley needs to be on this team. Now.
