Former Gamecock Jackie Bradley Jr. gets another chance with an MLB team

After more than a year out of Major League Baseball, Jackie Bradley Jr. is on the path back to the big leagues.

On Tuesday, the former South Carolina baseball star signed a minor-league deal with the New York Mets. He will join the Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

Bradley, 34, has not played in an MLB game in over a year, last seeing action 13 months ago as a member of the Kansas City Royals. He became a free agent after the Royals released him last June and, while some thought he might retire, Bradley kept training in the offseason in efforts to keep his career going.

He’s spent the last few months playing for the Long Island Ducks, an independent team in the Atlantic League. And over the past month, Bradley has been super-human — recording at least one hit in each of his past 28 games. This season, he’s hitting over .400 with a dozen home runs.

“Jackie has been incredibly deserving of this opportunity,” Ducks Manager Lew Ford said in a statement. “He has been one of the Atlantic League’s best hitters this season, and we look forward to watching him continue pursuing his goal of returning to the Major Leagues.”

Known in Columbia as a massive piece of South Carolina’s back-to-back national championships iunder coach (and current athletic director) Ray Tanner, Bradley won the 2010 College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award and was selected 40th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the 2011 MLB Draft.

In nine seasons with Boston, Bradley was a part of the Red Sox 2018 World Series squad and made the American League All-Star team in 2016. A lifetime .225 hitter, Bradley is known as a reliable outfielder and has a gold glove to him name. But in his last three MLB seasons, Bradley struggled at the plate, hitting .163 (2021), .203 (2022) and .133 (2023).

Former South Carolina star Whit Merrifield signs with Atlanta Braves

Just over a week after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies, Whit Merrifield has a new home. The 35-year old signed with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, just a day after Braves star infielder Ozzie Albies fractured his wrist.

This offseason, Merrifield signed with the Phillies on a 1-year, $8-million contract, but struggled mightily through the three-and-a-half months of the season. In 53 games with Philadelphia, Merrified hit .199 with just 11 RBIs and just eight extra-base hits.

The hero who delivered the walk-off hit in South Carolina’s 2010 College World Series championship, Merrfield spent almost six years in the minors after being drafted by the Kansas City Royals in in the 9th round of the 2010 draft.

In seven seasons with the Royals, Merrfield batted .286, making two all-star teams while twice leading the American League in hits. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2022 season and was an All Star for the Jays a year later.