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The Boston Red Sox reportedly pulled off a trade just before the Major League Baseball lockout, shipping a starting outfielder from last year's roster to re-acquire a former mainstay.
The Red Sox traded Hunter Renfroe to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., as well as minor league infielders Alex Binelas and David Hamilton, the team announced on its verified Twitter account.
Bradley, 31, was selected by Boston in the supplemental first round of the 2011 MLB Draft at No. 40 overall and was the 2018 ALCS MVP during the Red Sox 2018 World Series playoff run, which followed a franchise-record 108-win season.
The Richmond, Virginia native was also a Gold Glove Award winner in 2018 and an All-Star in 2016.
Bradley hit for a .239 average with 98 home runs and 378 RBI during eight seasons with Boston, but saw his average drop to .163 with six home runs and 29 RBI during his lone season in Milwaukee.
Renfroe, 29, emerged as a key bat in Boston's lineup last season with a .259 average, 31 home runs, 96 RBI, 89 runs scored and 64 extra-base hits.
The Brewers had a need for a power bat after losing Avisail Garcia to the Miami Marlins and Eduardo Escobar to the New York Mets in free agency.
Renfroe will join a Milwaukee outfield which currently has former NL MVP Christian Yelich, as well as Lorenzo Cain and Tyrone Taylor on its current active roster.
Major League Baseball locked out its players early Thursday (December 1) morning, marking the league's first work stoppage since 1990.
ESPN's Jeff Passan initially reported the decision, which was later confirmed by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in a prepared statement shared on MLB.com entitled, "A letter to baseball fans."
The decision was long-anticipated as the league had told the players it planned to initiate a lockout once the previous collective bargaining agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday (December 1) night.
Major League Baseball will now enter a dark period after an already eventful beginning to free agency, as Passan reports the upcoming Winter Meetings have been canceled "for the major league portion of the proceedings" but will continue "on the minor league side.
The lockout is a tactic used by management to prohibit employees from working until both sides reach a new agreement and team officials will not be able to communicate with players in any form, therefore, the offseason transaction process -- including free agency and trades -- involving players on 40-man rosters will end immediately.