Hot Stove Lunch: Report - Red Sox couldn't find good deal for Jackie Bradley Jr.

Remember the talk that surfaced during the winter meetings? That the Red Sox were intent on unloading some of their veteran players approaching free agency, in part to reduce payroll?

Well, Ken Rosenthal reports the Red Sox tried their hardest to move outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., but couldn't find a deal to their liking.

It stands to reason the Sox won't be able to retain every one of their players in free agency. And with Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts and (through an opt-out) J.D. Martinez eligible after next season and both Mookie Betts and Bradley eligible after 2020, the Sox will have to pick and choose.

On the one hand, it's incumbent upon the Sox to look ahead and plan accordingly. And it might make some sense to prioritize the many free agents and deal away the ones you either can't afford or could somehow do without.

But dealing away Bradley -- with no one in the organization ready to replace him in center -- flies in the face of the team's goal to try to become the first repeat champs in baseball in almost two decades.

Sure, the Sox could go sign a placeholder outfielder to replace Bradley. But would that improve their chances of winning again in 2019? Highly doubtful.

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