How Bradley Jr. fits into the Blue Jays’ crowded outfield mix

BALTIMORE — Longtime Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. wore a team-branded Blue Jays T-shirt and track shorts and sat in the visitors’ dugout at Camden Yards on Tuesday afternoon, answering questions about the team that eventually landed him.

Granted, the scale of the takeover isn’t quite as big as it was a few winters ago, when the Blue Jays showed interest before he signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Brewers, or even last-season, when the Blue Jays were trying to to acquire him from Milwaukee.

The two-time World Series winner is in the midst of a poor season at the plate, hitting .210 with .578 OPS in 91 games with Boston. But even at 32, Bradley is a strong defensive outfielder, and after being sacked by the Red Sox last week he was looking for a new place to play. It wasn’t long before the Blue Jays called.

“It all happened quickly,” Bradley Jr. said. “I’m happy to be here. It’s a great team and a competitive team that has done a lot of great things this year.”

The addition of Bradley Jr. to the Blue Jays’ outfield mix also raises some interesting questions about how the Blue Jays will use the new acquisition and what it means for others in the roster. His skills are similar to Bradley Zimmer, who remains in the roster, meaning two of the Blue Jays’ 26 roster spots now go to glove-first outfielders.

“There is certainly one more that needs to be added to the mix. Great track record and he knows his stuff,” said interim manager John Schneider. “We love his defense, his speed and his versatility. At this time of year you just want to have as many options as possible. We are happy to have him.”

While Zimmer has been mostly used as a bencher lately, Bradley Jr. could see some starts, according to Schneider. While the Blue Jays are certainly no longer counting on Bradley being a 20-homer hitter, he hits less often than Zimmer (20.0 percent strikeout rate vs. 38.4 percent).

“Every year is a challenging year,” Bradley Jr. said when asked about his batting. “You go through a lot of different things. I didn’t have the attacking year I wanted, but it’s a fresh start and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Late in the games, the Blue Jays could even push for a lockdown on outfield defenses, using Zimmer at center and Bradley Jr. on the right. As Schneider said, “That’s a pretty good setup if you’re playing on defense.”

George Springer put in some field practice Tuesday afternoon to stay active after receiving an anti-inflammatory shot in his right elbow, but he has yet to speed up his punching and throwing programs. As such, there’s a window for Bradley Jr. to make an impression. When he got the chance to fight for a contender and play in a city he likes, he jumped at it.

“I’m actually quite a tourist guy,” he said. “I stayed at Casa Loma, went around town a bit, stayed at the CN Tower, took my dad and had lunch there. I stayed at Ripley’s (Aquarium). I also went to some nice restaurants there. I like walking around and looking at different things.”

Finally, the Blue Jays must decide how to deal with a group of outfielders that also includes Whit Merrifield, Raimel Tapia, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez. As the example of Sergio Romo shows, the Blue Jays will not hesitate to part with non-producing veterans. But maybe Bradley Jr. will help, in which case the Blue Jays would have to come up with something else. Designate rooms for allocation? Create a reason to put him on the injured list? Something else?

However, these decisions can wait a bit. For now, the Blue Jays will welcome Bradley Jr.’s defense and experience.

“This will be fun,” he said. “They are a very talented group and I look forward to helping in any way I can.”