 |
| Bradley (L); Hamilton (R) |
A
hot rumor is circulating the baseball world that the Red Sox are willing to part with both
Jackie Bradley, Jr. and
Blake Swihart for Reds outfielder
Billy Hamilton. The 27-year-old Hamilton is a speedster who has swiped 256 bases over parts of six MLB seasons. Like JBJ, Hamilton is an elite defender. Both Bradley, Jr. and Hamilton are inconsistent offensively—sporting .233 and .243 batting averages, respectively. That said, Bradley has more power—61 career HRs versus just 20 for Hamilton. Swihart has also been inconsistent (hitting .251 in an injury-plagued career). So, essentially, the Red Sox would be giving up a smooth,
Gold-Glove center-fielder for one who is
almost as good defensively. They'd also be giving up a still-promising Swihart—although he is getting virtually no playing time this season with the Red Sox. The big pick-up for Boston would be Hamilton's base-stealing ability. Stay tuned—this deal could materialize very quickly.
