After more than a year on the trading block, Jay Bruce is finally on the move.
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At 29, Bruce has been part of the Reds organization since the team drafted him with the 12th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. The Blue Jays believed they had struck a trade for Bruce in February, only to have the deal scuttled during the final stages.
But the twist, of course, is that Bruce is now mashing in the middle of the Mets’ lineup, and NY entered Tuesday two games behind St. Louis in the race for the second wild card spot (and St. Louis is a half-game behind Miami, currently in the the second spot).
This led to thinking of potential Major League Baseball trade deals involving Bruce. There is also a club option worth $13 million in 2017, or a $1 million buyout.
Bruce will joining one of the least effective offenses in baseball, especially with runners in scoring position. The team’s defense has been just short of a dumpster fire this season, that is no secret.
In the offseason, the Mets re-signed Cespedes to a three-year deal, although he can opt out of it at the end of this season.
Bruce will primarily play right field, which means Curtis Granderson will have to move to another outfield position.
For now the plan to seems to be playing Granderson and Conforto in center with Cespedes in left and Bruce in right.
There is an obvious need for Bruce on the Mets to bolster their offense, but there is always the worry of his defense. He has always been a solid power threat, hitting an average of 27 doubles and 26 home runs per season before this year, but he’s looking to surpass anything he’s ever done before with 25 home runs and 80 RBI, both on pace for career bests.
Yet, manager Terry Collins emphasized an important message when meeting with Bruce, the big bat the Mets hope will help revitalize a lackluster lineup: “You’re not the savior”.
The A’s received minor leaguers Jharel Cotton and Grant Holmes, along with Frankie Montas, who made seven appearances with the White Sox previous year.
The only thing surprising about the Bruce trade is that it didn’t happen earlier. Bruce is the kind of hitter who could have a huge impact for them down the stretch.
With Matt Harvey out for the season and Zack Wheeler (will begin his rehab assignment on Saturday) still not ready, they’ve had to rely on Logan Verrett (tonight’s starter) as a fill in. They recalled him on July18. However, in two separate stints with the Mets in 2014 and 2015, Herrera has hit just 0.215/0.308/0.383 with six home runs and 17 runs batted in.
Two days later, on July 31, Flores hit a walk-off home run against the Washington Nationals.
The comparisons flowed even from his new teammates, who recognized the clear parallels from a year ago. Nimmo was rated the Mets’ third-best prospect during the midseason by Baseball America.
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The 27-year-old Smith is 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA this season in 27 games and 22 innings.
