According to Marc Carig of Newsday, top Mets prospect Brandon Nimmo is not in the deal despite having reportedly been in an earlier offer before the medical issues arose. But Cincinnati is among the worst National League teams and chose to deal him for infielder Dilson Herrera and left-hander Max Wotell. A Bruce acquisition would have made more sense for an AL team that could have used him at DH, but the Mets were obviously desperate and the other options for offensive minded outfielders, particularly Carlos Beltran, have the same problem. Should they like the production that he’s brought to their lineup, he has a reasonable $13 million contract next season at the age of 30.
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From the Reds’ perspective, Bruce picked a fine time to have a bounce-back season, hitting.265/.316/.559 in 2016 with 25 home runs, after hitting just.222/.288/.406 in 2014-2015 combined, ranking 112th among 117 qualified batters in on-base percentage over the last two years. Nimmo was rated the Mets’ third-best prospect during the midseason by Baseball America. Because he’s been battling a quad injury lately, Yoenis Cespedes hasn’t been playing center field.
Offensively, Bruce gives the Mets the middle-of-the-order big bat they need to bolster an underachieving offense, however his fit defensively isn’t flawless. This trade is a bit peculiar because it moves Curtis Granderson to center field, where he hasn’t played since 2012. Of particular interest to the Mets, Bruce is a.360 hitter with runners in scoring position. In 23 games, 18 being starts, Niese is 8-6 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. “You never know what’s going to happen until it actually happens”.
“All we can do is acquire as many good players as we can to maybe have that magic again”, Alderson said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back in and hopefully catching the Nationals”.
The upside on this deal is that the Mets need offense, and Bruce can provide it.
The Mets made a push for Bruce on deadline day last season, but were unable to acquire the 29-year-old.
Coincidentally, Nimmo is the second Mets’ first-round pick to be traded at the deadline. At a time when Conforto’s development is so crucial, Bruce’s arrival muddles how often he will be able to find his way into the lineup.
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Niese is by no means a great pitcher – he had a 4.91 ERA in 110 innings for the Pirates – but he’s a lefty, is probably an upgrade over Logan Verrett and is comfortable in this market and with this franchise. Cespedes has two years left on his deal after this season, but if he opts out, as expected, he could receive the long-term deal he failed to sign this past offseason.
