The Obligatory Jackie Bradley Jr. Column

Is Shank in Fort Myers to report on the 2018 Boston Red Sox or is he there to 'report' on everything else except the 2018 Boston Red Sox ?

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Despite coming off back-to-back division titles, these 2018 Red Sox seem to inspire inordinate doubt and skepticism. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and David Price have alternately talked about leadership, handling things better, and the joylessness of the 2017 season. On Saturday, Price was spotted wearing a white hoodie with “We Need Leaders” printed on the back.

And then there’s Jackie Bradley Jr., the spectacular center fielder who is the second-longest-tenured Red Sox player behind Pedroia.

Anyone remember Bradley’s spring training in 2013? He was the only positive thing the Sox had going into that season. They were still reeling from the 2012 Bobby Valentine train wreck, which had come on the heels of the 2011 chicken-and-beer collapse, after which a lot of people either left or got fired. In the spring of ’13, the Sox had no hope, other than a Double A outfielder who batted .419 in Florida and made himself the Sox’ youngest Opening Day starter since Dwight Evans.
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There is a slight weariness to him. He’s learned that in Boston the highs are higher and the lows are lower. He’s experienced plenty of both.

Bradley was on the Lou Merloni Pawtucket Shuttle in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He had his breakout year in 2016, when he started the All-Star Game and finished with 26 homers, a .267 average, and 87 RBIs. But last year he slumped to .245 with 17 homers and 63 RBIs in 133 games — a season he characterizes as “subpar”.

Eventually he'll do columns on the 2018 team. When that happens is anybody's guess.