Bradley was a former fantasy baseball darling given his top-prospects status, but the shine has faded over the past couple seasons. Does the 23-year-old righty still have the upside to be worth a waiver-wire pickup?
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Bradley has plus stuff, but control issues have plagued him since being drafted No. 7 overall in 2011. He began the 2015 season in the big league rotation, but a line drive to the head put him on the shelf for much of the year. This spring he looked shaky in big league camp (9.00 ERA in 10 innings), and he’s off to a mediocre start at Triple-A (4.05 ERA; five walks in 6.2 innings over two starts).
At his best, Bradley profiles as a No. 3 starter with a plus fastball, above-average breaking ball, and developing change. Unfortunately, poor control has made his stuff play down. If he can throw quality strikes, he has the tools to unseat De La Rosa and stick in the D-backs’ rotation.
However, he’s never shown consistent command, and his performance so far this season doesn’t inspire confidence. Given his upside he’s a guy to track, but right now he’s a risky bet as a big league starter.
