Bobby BradGOAT

What to do, what to do. He's going to have bout 17-18 home runs in less than half a season games played this year. Not bad, not bad. And oh by the way, his defense is much better than presumed heading into the season. Yes, he's going to K a lot with 88 already on the year. But he gets on base at a decent pace, and he's still just a rookie and 25 years old.

I think we'd be nuts to do anything other than bring him back, and slot him in for 30 HRs out of bout the 6th spot of the order. Reasonable to think he slashes better than the .220/.310/.466 he did in his first season in the bigs with regular PT. He's shown a great work ethic and attitude already, shedding weight, getting into shape, and taking the org's disasterous decision to pretend Jake BauerS was a big league 1B over him in stride. But I know he's a polarizing figure on this board because he's the type of player you only like if you are a rube (hint: like me). So curious to hear what you all think about this guy for next year. The money we save having a young, homegrown and controllable option at 1B who will hit 30 HRs next year can easily be allocated to the disaster of an OF.

Bradley is an interesting guy, cause his power is legit and I think with the right veterans/people around him, his game should improve since he has shown he can go the other way and take pitches at times, while he has also shown he is willing to work hard and improve his game. The last two offseasons he has come into camp in great shape (did it the wrong way though in 20, but learned and did it the right way for 21).

Personally unless we get an Olson/Walsh/a young established 1B, I think he starts the season as our main 1B. I had him going back to the Angels in a trade scenario for Walsh (who I have liked), but I don't think Walsh would get moved from the Angels...

It feels like to me, 1B will be his to lose in 22, but don't be surprised for us to get a Canha type in free agency/trade that is a corner OF/1B that bats from the right side.

sportscoach said:

Bradley is an interesting guy, cause his power is legit and I think with the right veterans/people around him, his game should improve since he has shown he can go the other way and take pitches at times, while he has also shown he is willing to work hard and improve his game. The last two offseasons he has come into camp in great shape (did it the wrong way though in 20, but learned and did it the right way for 21).

Personally unless we get an Olson/Walsh/a young established 1B, I think he starts the season as our main 1B. I had him going back to the Angels in a trade scenario for Walsh (who I have liked), but I don't think Walsh would get moved from the Angels...

It feels like to me, 1B will be his to lose in 22, but don't be surprised for us to get a Canha type in free agency/trade that is a corner OF/1B that bats from the right side.

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Agree.

Bradley is our 1B.

If you look at our unsettled positions...1B, corner OF, and 2B....Bradley is the only kid that grabbed a spot, although I think Gimenez will be the 2B.

The debate about all the rest of them is not whether they can be a starter, its about whether they are worth keeping on the 40 man.

There is no such debate about Bradley.

But, as sportscoach says, the FO will have a Plan B, just in case, or at least a platoon partner, just in case.

Biggest concern: He's hitting .175 against lefties.

Biggest plus: He's hitting .421 with two out and RISP (8-for-19). He also has seven walks and two HBP's in those situations, giving him an on-base percentage of .607 with two out and RISP.

He's also hitting .302 with RISP.

Time to move on from the Bobby Bradley experiment. He seems like a genuinely great guy and is very easy to root for, but this team needs much more consistent production in the middle of the lineup and there are obvious upgrades in the 1B free agent market this winter (Brandon Belt, CJ Cron and Anthony Rizzo.)

His 34.5% K rate is now eighth highest in the league for all hitters with at least 250 plate appearances (Zimmer is actually fourth highest at 35.5%.) Joey Gallo has nearly an identical K rate as Bradley, but his walk rate is double that of Bradley (18.5% to 9.4%) and his wRC+ is 128 as opposed to Bradley's of 109.

Bradley's June was absolutely superb, as he posted an incredible wRC+ of 152 in 78 plate appearances and cut his strikeout rate to 26.9%. However, in the second half, he has a wRC+ of just 78 with a 38% K rate in 136 plate appearances leading to an OBP of just .287. The front office needs to upgrade at 1B this offseason, and fortunately, there are enticing options in free agency that should be within their budget considering the impending payroll increase.

Most of what Kevalier states is true, and I share the same concerns.

However, there are only so many holes this org can fill in one off season, and the two corner OF holes are much bigger.

If it was possible to fill all three positions with major upgrades, sure, replace Bradley. But I think three is a major stretch.

I remember when we picked up Michael Brantleys option after he had been hurt for two years, and I think it was Antonetti who said that we were betting on the man, not the player.

To some extent, its the same with Bradley. Unlike several youngsters we have had..but are now departed...Bobby has done everything he has been asked to do, and worked diligently to improve. My guess is that the FO will stick with him one more year.

But I do think that, as has been said by many on here, the FO will bring in a Plan B...a corner OF that can play 1B if necessary.

Which is why IMO, its #1 FA target will be Canha...who BTW is a better player now than Cron, Rizzo, or Belt...and likely to be less expensive than the latter two.

Kevalier said:

Time to move on from the Bobby Bradley experiment. He seems like a genuinely great guy and is very easy to root for, but this team needs much more consistent production in the middle of the lineup and there are obvious upgrades in the 1B free agent market this winter (Brandon Belt, CJ Cron and Anthony Rizzo.)

His 34.5% K rate is now eighth highest in the league for all hitters with at least 250 plate appearances (Zimmer is actually fourth highest at 35.5%.) Joey Gallo has nearly an identical K rate as Bradley, but his walk rate is double that of Bradley (18.5% to 9.4%) and his wRC+ is 128 as opposed to Bradley's of 109.

Bradley's June was absolutely superb, as he posted an incredible wRC+ of 152 in 78 plate appearances and cut his strikeout rate to 26.9%. However, in the second half, he has a wRC+ of just 78 with a 38% K rate in 136 plate appearances leading to an OBP of just .287. The front office needs to upgrade at 1B this offseason, and fortunately, there are enticing options in free agency that should be within their budget considering the impending payroll increase.

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"Time to move on from the experiment after 68 games"

Means I was never interested in the experiment's outcome, to begin with. Let's just be honest with everyone, ok bub? You had your mind made up years ago. He's a player that you simply cannot root for if you fancy yourself as a serious, astute baseball fan. Like a Zagat critic admitting to enjoying Texas Roadhouse. I get it. I really do.

I'd love to take the time to go back through people's posts who take the same "time to move on from the Bradley experiment after 68 games" approach. I'd guarandamtee you they were beating their bird chests in May that Jake BauerS and his .200 career average across 3-4 seasons just needs more time. Guaranteed. Because BauerS is palatable to the Zagat wannabees.

CATS44 said:

Most of what Kevalier states is true, and I share the same concerns.

However, there are only so many holes this org can fill in one off season, and the two corner OF holes are much bigger.

If it was possible to fill all three positions with major upgrades, sure, replace Bradley. But I think three is a major stretch.

I remember when we picked up Michael Brantleys option after he had been hurt for two years, and I think it was Antonetti who said that we were betting on the man, not the player.

To some extent, its the same with Bradley. Unlike several youngsters we have had..but are now departed...Bobby has done everything he has been asked to do, and worked diligently to improve. My guess is that the FO will stick with him one more year.

But I do think that, as has been said by many on here, the FO will bring in a Plan B...a corner OF that can play 1B if necessary.

Which is why IMO, its #1 FA target will be Canha...who BTW is a better player now than Cron, Rizzo, or Belt...and likely to be less expensive than the latter two.

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Canha is certainly not a better player than Belt. Here's how they compare this season:

Mark Canha: 596 plate appearances in 134 games.
2.8 fWAR
116 wRC+
.334 wOBA
.751 OPS
17 HRs
12.2% BB rate
20.6% K rate
.164 ISO

Brandon Belt: 372 plate appearances in 95 games
2.8 fWAR
151 wRC+
.395 wOBA
.945 OPS
27 HRs
12.9% BB rate
27.7% K rate
.309 ISO

Also, here are CJ Cron's numbers this season which are also superior to Canha's:

CJ Cron: 514 plate appearances in 134 games
2.1 fWAR
125 wRC+
.381 wOBA
.900 OPS
27 HRs
11.1% BB rate
21.6% K rate
.252 ISO

And, with Josh Naylor's flexibility, we don't necessarily need to upgrade at both corner outfield spots if we're factoring him into the equation next season. If they play him predominantly at LF and then find a RF to go along with Straw at CF, they can then set their sights on signing someone like Belt or Cron to play 1B and hit in the middle of the order.

DickyLeftridge said:

"Time to move on from the experiment after 68 games"

Means I was never interested in the experiment's outcome, to begin with. Let's just be honest with everyone, ok bub? You had your mind made up years ago. He's a player that you simply cannot root for if you fancy yourself as a serious, astute baseball fan. Like a Zagat critic admitting to enjoying Texas Roadhouse. I get it. I really do.

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I sincerely enjoyed the prose, but you couldn't be more wrong. First of all, I don't root against any players in an Indians/Guardians uniform. Also, I was excited like everyone else this June when it appeared Bradley had turned the corner in substantially cutting down the strikeouts and getting on base around at least 32-33% of the time with his immense raw power. However, pitchers made adjustments to him and he has severely regressed in the second half as opposed to showing improvements. Yes, he's played in 68 games this season, but he's also 25 years old and will be out of options next season. Why would you not elect to sign a 1B who offers similar power to Bradley, but also gets on base far more often and doesn't strike out at an alarming rate?

Kevalier said:

I sincerely enjoyed the prose, but you couldn't be more wrong. First of all, I don't root against any players in an Indians/Guardians uniform. Also, I was excited like everyone else this June when it appeared Bradley had turned the corner in substantially cutting down the strikeouts and getting on base around at least 32-33% of the time with his immense raw power. However, pitchers made adjustments to him and he has severely regressed in the second half as opposed to showing improvements. Yes, he's played in 68 games this season, but he's also 25 years old and will be out of options next season. Why would you not elect to sign a 1B who offers similar power to Bradley, but also gets on base far more often and doesn't strike out at an alarming rate?

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I addressed the answer to your question in my original post. Because resources are finite and we have more pressing needs. Namely, the OF. If we were the Yankees, I'd surely agree we can afford to move on from Bradley at 1B. But we're not.

Now that I've answered your question, please answer mine. Why would you presume Bradley--with his noted work ethic and commitment--has plateaued 68 games into his career?

The answer is exactly what I've said it was: you already had your mind made up.

Canhas fWAR over the last three seasons.

9.5

Belt...5.1

Cron...2.7

Canha has stayed healthy and can play three positions.

He made $7 mil this year.
Belt made $17 mil.
Rizzo made $16.5.

The latter two are well beyond our price range.

CATS44 said:

Canhas fWAR over the last three seasons.

9.5

Belt...5.1

Cron...2.7

Canha has stayed healthy and can play three positions.

He made $7 mil this year.
Belt made $17 mil.
Rizzo made $16.5.

The latter two are well beyond our price range.

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Canha's excellent 2019 season (4 fWAR) almost makes up half of his entire fWAR over the past three seasons. The concern I have with him is the sizable power decline. In 2019, he posted a career high SLG% of .517, but is down to just .394 in SLG% this season. Meanwhile, Belt's SLG% is at .574 this season, while he has averaged a SLG% of .583 since 2020.

Regarding who is in our price range and who isn't, that remains to be determined. If Belt is deemed to be too costly for the organization, CJ Cron should be more affordable while offering similar production at the plate.

Wham with the Right Hand said:

Biggest concern: He's hitting .175 against lefties.

Biggest plus: He's hitting .421 with two out and RISP (8-for-19). He also has seven walks and two HBP's in those situations, giving him an on-base percentage of .607 with two out and RISP.

He's also hitting .302 with RISP.

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He looks like a platoon power guy right now, and that's still valuable. Especially on a controlled rookie deal, it's an easy keep for the next few seasons.

I remember thinking Jim Thome would be a career platoon power guy when he was a skinny rookie third baseman. Now he is in the Hall of Fame and my kids pose for pictures in front of his statue. Bradley has a chance to improve against lefties.

Randolphkeys said:

He looks like a platoon power guy right now, and that's still valuable. Especially on a controlled rookie deal, it's an easy keep for the next few seasons.

I remember thinking Jim Thome would be a career platoon power guy when he was a skinny rookie third baseman. Now he is in the Hall of Fame and my kids pose for pictures in front of his statue. Bradley has a chance to improve against lefties.

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Jim Thome had already accumulated nearly 16 in fWAR by the end of his age-25 season. Bobby Bradley is currently at 0 fWAR for his career as he wraps up his age-25 season. Other than being left-handed 1B with power, there's really no apt comparison between the two players.

Kevalier said:

Jim Thome had already accumulated nearly 16 in fWAR by the end of his age-25 season. Bobby Bradley is currently at 0 fWAR for his career as he wraps up his age-25 season. Other than being left-handed 1B with power, there's really no apt comparison between the two players.

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I'm not saying Bradley is on a HOF trajectory at all. I made it to a few games this year where Bradley played, one was against Framber Valdez for Houston. He looked hopeless against a lefty.

That said, Thome really was hopeless against lefties in both 1991 and 1992. He was really hot and cold against righties as well. There wasn't any assurance he would turn into an everyday player until '93 or so.