One of the most talked about trade chips leading up to Monday afternoon’s deadline has been Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.
It now appears that the three-time All-Star is heading to the New York Mets.
The Mets are on the verge of finishing a deal for Jay Bruce.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 1, 2016
It’s potentially a huge move for the third-place Mets. Bruce, 29, is in the midst of a resurgent season that has seen him hit 25 homers with a league-leading 80 RBI in 97 games.
He’s that left-handed bat New York has been looking for on the trade market for some time now.
With the addition of Bruce, questions will be raised about the future of Yoenis Cespedes in New York. Cespedes, who might be headed for the disabled list, can opt out of his contract this upcoming winter.
Considering Bruce and Cespedes play the same outfield position, there could be some concern over cohesion here.
Though, reports prior to the trade suggested that Bruce will take over as New York’s everyday left fielder with Cespedes continue to man the right field spot.
Either way we put it, this is a deal that makes too much sense for New York. Here’s a team that’s barely treading water at 54-50 on the season.
It’s 6.5 games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East and 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot heading into August’s action.
Should the deal be completed, former Mets first-round pick Brandon Nimmo is said to be heading to Cincinnati. The 23-year-old outfielder is hitting at a .336 clip with seven homers and 45 RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas. He’d immediately slot in as a starter for the Reds.