It was a tale of two very different seasons for Jay Bruce, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline.
On August 1st 2016, the Cincinnati Reds sent three-time All-star Bruce to the Mets in exchange for top prospect Dilson Herrera and left-handed lower-level prospect Max Wotell.
Despite the imperfect fit, Bruce was acquired at the trade deadline last season to help boost the Mets’ offense. At the time, the Mets offense was struggling to say the least and Bruce was one of the most productive hitters in the league. Bruce had been leading the league with 80 RBIs and had 25 homers.
Let’s take a closer look at how Bruce’s productive season changed once coming over from the Reds.
How’d he fared in 2016?
The Mets were struggling offensively and many starters were battling injuries. David Wright, Lucas Duda were both out for majority of the season, and Yoenis Cespedes had been battling a quad injury.
At the time the Mets acquired Bruce, the Mets’ offense had been hitting a major league worst .206 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Bruce had been hitting an impressive .360 with runners in scoring position.
However, once Bruce put on the Mets’ uniform, he struggled to produce. Through Bruce’s first 41 games as a Met, he held an awful .175 batting average. The non-production forced manager Terry Collins to bench Bruce a few games down the stretch in late September.
There was one tiny shiny spot to Bruce’s time as a Met, as the slugger managed to get out of his second-half slump the last week of the season. He homered three times in the final week of the season.
Areas for improvement
What areas can Bruce improve in if — and that’s a big if — the Mets have him on the 2017 Opening Day roster? As it stands Bruce has never been a great defensive outfielder, but to be fair, he has primarily been known to be a streaky power hitter.
It is for that reason, if I had to narrow it down to just one main area to improve upon, it would be to be more consistent offensively.
Bruce, who had spent his entire nine-year career with the Reds, seemed to be a little overwhelmed at times when playing in Queens. To go from a small market, last place team to a large market like New York, where the media is always looking for stories to report can be stressful for athletes.
That is the same reason some athletes opt not to play for New York.
Also, I think too much pressure was put on Bruce to the savior for the Mets’ offense, especially after we all witnessed the historic second-half Cespedes was able to put up for the Mets last season. Although a small sample size, Bruce was able to show why the Mets acquired his bat the final week of the season.
If in fact Bruce is a member of the Mets in 2017, hopefully he can relax and just be another guy on the team who’s capable of producing to his maximum potential.
Projected Role in 2017
Trade rumors have been swirling around Bruce’s name ever since Cespedes re-signed with the Mets earlier this offseason. Ideally, it sounds as if Bruce would be in another uniform next season, but reports indicate there isn’t a ton of interest in Bruce around the league.
Of course, that can change at any given moment.
Personally, as I wrote earlier this month, I find in very hard to believe a middle-of-the-lineup bat that’s capable of driving in 100 RBIs while hitting 30+ homers in a single season has limited value to teams around the league. Given that type of production, his $13 million salary can be seen as a bargain.
Contract Status and Trade Rumors
In early November, the Mets took a gamble and picked up Bruce’s 2017 option, which is worth $13 million.
The move was done in large part to the uncertainty surrounding the Mets ability to retain Cespedes, who had opted out of his contract to become a free agent shortly after the season.
Now that Cespedes is staying put, there is a current logjam in the outfield. Because of this, it’s being widely reported the Mets are actively looking at ways to trade Bruce and his salary.
The question remains, will Bruce be dealt by next season? If not, what should we expect of Bruce in 2017?
When it’s all said and done my gut feeling tells me Bruce will be dealt before the 2017 season. As to what the Mets get in return, that is a mystery no one knows. Only time will tell.
Bruce gif time!
Next: Mets Season in Review: Yoenis Cespedes
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