Boras: Red Sox draftee Bradley preparing to return to sc - 美國職棒

Boras: Red Sox draftee Bradley preparing to return to school

By Alex Speier

PHOENIX — Jackie Bradley, a center fielder whom the Red Sox selected out of
the University of South Carolina with the No. 40 overall pick of the 2011
draft, surprised many by returning from surgery to repair torn tendons in his
left wrist in time to play for the Gamecocks as they defended their College
World Series title.

It was a satisfying coda to what was a difficult year. Prior to his injury,
Bradley — the best player at USC in his freshman and sophomore seasons —
had struggled to a .247 average, .346 OBP, .432 slugging mark and six homers
in 42 games. Then, his season-ending injury ensured that he wouldn’t have a
chance to improve his draft stock down the stretch (his return for the
College World Series came after this year’s amateur draft).

And so, a player who was viewed as a mid- to late-first round selection
entering the 2011 draft instead ended up being drafted in the supplemental
first round. Despite the injury and the down year of performance, the Sox
still regarded Bradley’s center field defense highly, and felt that he
offered the potential for above-average defense in center field with
double-digit home run power.

Bradley, who was the MVP of the College World Series in 2010, hit .174 with a
.240 OBP and a .217 slugging mark in this year’s tournament. Given his down
performance year and the fact that he was coming off an injury, it seemed
fair to wonder whether Bradley might follow a similar path to a player whom
the Sox had taken one year earlier with the No. 39 pick — right-hander
Anthony Ranaudo — who likewise dealt with injuries and performance issues as
a junior but used a stint in the Cape League in order to try to command a
bonus commensurate with his preseason status.

But Bradley — who, like Ranaudo, is advised by Scott Boras — will not
follow that course. Instead, he is working out this summer, though Boras
suggested from the All-Star festivities that Bradley is doing so with a
return to USC in mind, rather than the start of his professional career.

“He’s doing well. He just had the wrist issue. He was able to come back and
compete very, very well. He should be fine,” said Boras. “[He is] probably
not [playing this summer]. We’re just having him work on his strength and
getting him ready to go back to college.”

Such threats would typically carry little weight, since college seniors have
little leverage in the draft. That said, Boras clients have, on occasion,
returned to college for their senior year. For instance, catcher Jason
Varitek and pitchers James Paxton and Luke Hochevar all returned to school
when they were unable to reach an agreement with the teams that took them
with a high draft pick.

Varitek was taken in the first round (No. 21 overall) by the Twins in 1993,
and was selected by the Mariners with the No. 14 overall pick the following
year. Paxton was a supplemental first rounder (No. 37) of the Blue Jays in
2009 who went in the fourth round to the Mariners the following year.
Hochevar, like Bradley, was selected with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2005
draft, pitched in an independent league and was selected No. 1 overall by the
Royals in 2006.

Sources familiar with the talks suggest that the Sox and Bradley have been
nowhere close in their preliminary negotiations. That said, that has been a
frequent pattern for the Sox in negotiations with players advised by Boras,
who frequently end up signing close to (or at) the Aug. 15 signing deadline.

Certainly, if he finds the Sox’ offer unsatisfying, Bradley could return to
school in hopes that improved performance, along with a weaker draft class in
2012 (2011 was regarded as a very strong class), might improve his draft
position (and corresponding bonus) next year.

Whether such a scenario unfolds will likely become become clearer in about a
month, as the signing deadline approaches.

Boras最近很活躍,一直在放話.

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