According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have been receiving inquiries on Jay Bruce all offseason. However, the Mets are not inclined to move Bruce until the Yoenis Cespedes situation has been resolved.
At the moment, the market appears to be heating up as Cespedes shares the same goal as the Mets do in signing a deal by the completion of the Winter Meetings, whether it be a four or five year deal with the Mets or otherwise. The Winter Meetings are scheduled for December 4th – 8th.
The Mets and Bruce haven’t had a stellar relationship, as it was reported before the 2016 trade deadline, Bruce allegedly asked to be traded “anywhere but New York.” That, as well as the Mets’ plethora of outfielders and his less than stellar performance in a Mets uniform, makes him an obvious trade chip.
As it is far from certain whether or not Cespedes will return, the Mets will continue to monitor the Bruce trade market. In fact, it could very well be the Mets do not move Bruce as the loss of Cespedes would create a power void in the lineup. Given the Mets and Cespedes’ timeline, we should know more about both players in a little more than a week.
