Ex-Red Sox Outfielder, World Series Champ ‘Expected’ To Retire

Free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. might not be returning to Major League Baseball after 11 seasons.

Bradley, 33, last took the field as a member of the Royals, playing 43 games with Kansas City in 2023. Hitting .133 with 29 strikeouts and only 14 base hits prompted the Royals to release Bradley in June, prematurely ending his season — and perhaps career.

The 2016 All-Star reportedly is “expected” to retire, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

That might not be the worst-case scenario for Bradley, who hinted at entertaining the idea of calling it a career even before parting ways with the Royals last season.

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“I want to enjoy my family, travel, play golf and just relax,” Bradley said back in May, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I have plenty of things I enjoy outside of this game.”

The most notable stretch of Bradley’s playing days came during his nine-year run with the Red Sox. In Boston, Bradley was homegrown into arguably the best defensive outfielder across MLB. Although offensive struggles followed the left-handed hitter for the better part of his career, Bradley will always be remembered for flipping the switch when it mattered in 2018.

While taking on a dynasty Astros team in the American League Championship Series, Bradley came through, driving in nine runs while also blasting two home runs — the most RBIs from a Red Sox player in the ALCS since David Ortiz (11, 2004). Bradley went on to be named MVP of that series while Boston won the World Series that year.

Bradley will turn 34 in April.