JAY BRUCE, OF
Player Data: Age: 29, B/T: Left/Left, Free Agency: 2018
2016 Primary Stats: (As a Met) .219/.294/.391, 8 home runs, 19 RBI, 43 strikeouts, 17 walks, 14 runs scored, 50 games
2016 Review:
The Mets were hoping that Jay Bruce was the answer to their lineup as protection for Yoenis Cespedes, and also act as an insurance policy in case Cespedes departs in the offseason. The Mets dealt second base prospect Dilson Herrera and left-hander Max Wotell to the Cincinnati Reds for Bruce in July, who upon his arrival to Queens was leading the National League in RBIs with 80.
The Mets were interested in acquiring Bruce before the 2015 trade deadline, holding discussions with the Reds about RHP Zack Wheeler, before talks simmered. That cleared a hurdle for the Mets to eventually circle back and inquire with the Detroit Tigers about the availability of “La Potencia”. The rest is history.
The stats Bruce posted with Cincinnati in the first half of the regular season would seem a distant memory to Met fans, as he posted a slash line of .183/.262/.290, with two homers, six RBI, and 27 strikeouts in 26 games in August. The boos that rang down on Bruce at Citi Field (not to mistake for the “Bruuuccee” chants) were loud and grating, as fans and media alike could sense that Bruce was pressing in his new environment, and not at the right time for a team that had aspirations of the postseason. Not to mention a big reason the Mets were intrigued by Bruce was due to his monstrous numbers with men in scoring position, where he posted a ridiculous 1.125 OPS in 89 at-bats with the Reds in ’16, compared to .712 OPS in 38 at-bats with the Mets, salvaged by a strong final week in September.
As noted above, Bruce saved his Mets season in September, finishing the year with an eight-game hitting streak and slashing .263/.333/.513, with six home runs, 13 RBI, and eight runs scored in 24 games in September and October. Bruce left his mark during the September 30 game against the Phillies, where the lefty slugger went 3-for-4 with three RBI, including tying the game at one in the fourth with an RBI single, and giving the Mets a two-run lead in the seventh with his 33rd home run (one shy of his career high in 2012) of the season. That win ensured the Mets a tie-breaker game at the very least, and put them within one win or one Cardinals loss of clinching their second postseason berth, which they clinched the following day by beating the Phillies 5-3.
Grade: D+
[iframe]<div style=”width:100%;margin:10px 0;”><iframe src=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/eSGXjTmuiBn” width=”600″ height=”523″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no” style=”position:static;vertical-align:top;margin:0 auto;display:block;width:600px !important;max-width:100%;min-height:523px !important;max-height:none !important;border:none;overflow:hidden;”></iframe><div style=”text-align:center;font:14px/16px Helvetica,arial;color:#3d3d3d;”><a target=”_blank” href=”https://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/1971/Jay-Bruce” style=”color:#3d3d3d;”>PointAfter | Graphiq</a></div></div>[/iframe]
2017 Outlook:
The Mets picked up Bruce’s 2017 option at $13 million, a no-brainer for the team. Worst case scenario, Bruce is starting in right for the Mets next season, where the club will hope that his final month of play will translate into a better performance in ’17. All along, Bruce was viewed by the Mets brass as a cheaper power alternative to Cespedes should he land a bigger payday from another team in the offseason, and while he doesn’t have the same reverence that Cespedes has on this team, he does offer 25 plus homer power and 85 plus RBIs each year, and is still in the prime of his career. The Mets could also look to move Bruce in the winter, as teams will be on the lookout for talent that is somewhat void besides a handful of sluggers on the open market this offseason.
