When Jay Bruce was traded to Cleveland at the trade deadline, there was already some talk that he could return to the Mets in the offseason since he would be a free agent at the end of the season.
Rumor grade: A Jay Bruce return to the Mets?
New York traded him to Cleveland before the deadline.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Now, according to a source, that may very well be the case if things shake out right.
The rumor
According to Newsday, “a source” says that the Mets are looking at getting Bruce back for 2018. They are reportedly looking for an upgrade over Dominic Smith — who could start the season in the minors to play himself back into shape — and Bruce might just be it.
Why it makes sense for the Mets
Well, they’re definitely looking for a man on first — they’ve been linked to Adam Lind and Carlos Santana as well. Bruce was good in 2017. Not an MVP candidate or anything, but good.
He hit 29 home runs in 103 games for the Mets before getting traded, hitting .256 and striking out 102 times. For Cleveland, he played in 43 games and hit seven more home runs, and while his offense lagged slightly he was still a productive addition to the team.
He’s turning 31 at the beginning of next season so he’s not an ideal signing but they could make it work — and after all, he’s a first baseman they trust and the organization knows.
Why it doesn’t make sense for the Mets
Say it was more likely than not that Jay Bruce duplicated his first-half production throughout all of 2018 (which wasn’t above and beyond what he did enough in the second half, but there was a clear difference). Say he agreed to a price that was reasonable for all parties involved. Is there anyone out there who believes the Mets would be smart enough to pull the trigger on that?
It doesn’t make sense because if there were a deal handcrafted to blow up in the Mets’ face, this would be it. Either they sign him for too much and his productivity is good but not that good, or they sign him for what looks like a good amount and he craters. Knowing the Mets, it’s the second one. Definitely.
Rumor Grade
C+. There are way too many vague rumors flying around right now for this one to feel legitimate. Until there are more specific details about the proposed deal or the Mets stop checking in on the possibility of acquiring a half dozen other first base fill-ins, this feels like one of the dozens of random what-ifs flying around.
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