The Philadelphia Phillies have been in rebuild mode over the last few seasons and as their young group of players begin to blossom, they are now looking to make some additions to complement their youth.
With the Phillies possibly ready to open those purse strings and go after some big names in free agency, it has been pointed out that they may have some interest in the 2016 Silver Slugger Award winner, Yoenis Cespedes.
As of now, the Phillies have just $13.7 million in commitments to active players on their payroll for the 2017 season. Cespedes though is seen as a long shot for Philadelphia as they are looking for more short-term answers at this juncture of their rebuild.
Enter Jay Bruce, with just one-year left on his contract at an affordable $13 million. Bruce is exactly the type of lefty power-hitting outfielder the Phillies could use and they have a good crop of prospects to offer New York in exchange.
Phillies general manager, Matt Klentak spoke on the team’s prowess in free agency and the trade market during this frenzied period.
“What we do now has to fit our broader organizational plan,” Klentak said. “We are looking for players that fit our timeline and narrative.” (NY Post)
It is still hard to fathom that the Mets may be open to trading an impact player like Bruce within the division, even to a team not expected to compete in 2017.
While Bruce’s time with New York has not been the greatest, overall he had a productive 2016 season. He hit to a .250/.309/.506 battling line to go along with 33 homers and 99 RBI, split between the Cincinnati Reds and the Mets last season.
