Let's talk about Jay Bruce for the next couple hours

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Reports are we're still hot on him.

Pros:
--Perfect replacement for the LH power that's gone missing since Duda. Would change things up considerably
--Although it further crowds the outfield, for the next week it'd allow Cespedes to DH and rest, or DL if necessary.
--After that, try him, or Grandy, or Cespedes, for a 1Bmans glove
--Zimmo, Cecchini and a low-level pitching prospect gets it done?
--Signed for next season, hedge against Cespy walk, accelerates Grandy's transition to bench player/tradebait?

Cons:
--Too many outfielders already but no CFers still
--Mets longshot to make playoffs under any circumstances
--Whiffs a lot
--Need to beat offer from SF

[Guest cooby]

Leading my fantasy team in fan points. But in the "careful what you wish for" department, yes we'd have to make an offer we fans may not like

[TransMonk]

I'm not sure how Bruce helps the Mets in 2016.

Moving forward, I think it would telegraph that the Mets believe Cespy will be gone after this season and that they cannot or will not negotiate to keep him here. If Cespedes stays, it creates a major log jam in the OF, yet Bruce does not play CF, so it is a log jam of corner OFs. I'll believe the Mets spending 2017 Grandy money on a bench player when I see it...and if Curtis is tradeable, his value is decreasing by the day.

Whiffs a lot.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

TransMonk wrote: I'm not sure how Bruce helps the Mets in 2016.

He's a legit home run guy, that's how. Lots of things have gone wrong for the Mets this season but losing their cleanup/5 hitter has undoubtedly been the biggest thing gone wrong.

We've already dared Cespedes to walk after the year, and he's compromised presently.

I'm talking myself into this.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

JUST SAY NO.

Shit with the glove, nor that great with the arm, and an okay runner. He's not even THAT great a hitter. You're giving up fresh meat for that?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I might, rabbit. I might.

[Edgy MD]

What happened to Jay Bruce's arm?

If I'm talking to Cincinnati, I'm asking about Votto, not Bruce.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Aesthetically? Seems pretty cool. Everything in the right place, matches the other and all.

Throwing-wise? Ees no so good no more. (Same with his range/ability to make plays in right.)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Has three career starts at first base.

[Centerfield]

I'd pass on Jay Bruce. His best asset his his power, and he's moving from Cincy to Citifield.

Yikes.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's a power hitter in any stadium, just a better one in a friendly park, but that's true of any guy.

OWNS A FIRST BASEMAN'S GLOVE

[Centerfield]

I mean, I guess it comes down to what you give up for him. Wouldn't give up any blue chippers for Bruce.

[Edgy MD]

Votto has supposedly grown into a very unhappy camper seeing the Reds falling apart.

Whatever your position, Cincy needs pitching, pitching and perhaps a little pitching. It's unclear if the Mets still have enough redundancy to dangle.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hey look if they wanna throw in Votto I'm listening. He does have soemthing like a 20-year contract tho, makes a little unrealistic from Fred's POV

[Edgy MD]

Yup, signed through 2024, but it's more affordable than some, controlling a productive hitter at $25 million per, as we're approaching the era when top hitters are going to get $40 million. The trick, of corpus, is him continuing to be something resembling a top hitter.

Also, he achieves 5-and-10 status at the end of the season, so the Reds are motivated sellers. If Duda returns to form or the Mets continue to bank on Smith, they can flip Giuseppe at the end of the season.

But as Keef insists that Céspedes is a cleanup hitter faking it as a #3, Vottiisimo would slot nicely into that spot in the lineup.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That would shock the world, of course it might cost you something beyond Zimmo and Cecchini.

Reds may as well throw in Zach Cosart if we're going that far.

[Frayed Knot]

I hadn't realized that Jay Caitlin (as CF insisted a while back is the proper form of address in order to stay in good terms with the politically correct crowd) is signed for next season (at the reasonably reasonable number of $13 mil) which changes things slightly, but so do his numbers over the last three seasons combined which aren't nearly as attractive as just this year alone: .233/.295/.446

I'd prefer to spend our limited resources on something we don't have right now [speed, leadoff skillz] and lefty-hitting corner OFs with power potential who K a lot isn't exactly in short supply in Queens these days.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

So if have this straight its one vote for Bruce, 5 or 6 no-I'm-too-scareds and one only if Joey Votto comes too?

I think what they have is an option at 13 millz. If everyone's unimpressed after a few months you can reject that option, or take it and flip the crap out of him.

[Frayed Knot]

Hot off the press at MLB.com: 'Mariners near deal for Cozart'

[soupcan]

I don't think it's necessary.

[Guest sharpie]

If I read in the next few hours that the Mets had traded for Jay Bruce I'd be pretty happy, 'specially with the notion of putting him at first base.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Buster: "Mets on the verge of acquiring Jay Bruce"

[Guest cooby]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: So if have this straight its one vote for Bruce, 5 or 6 no-I'm-too-scareds and one only if Joey Votto comes too? I think what they have is an option at 13 millz. If everyone's unimpressed after a few months you can reject that option, or take it and flip the crap out of him.

Well that's true too. He could make a good trade for us later

[Frayed Knot]

Buster: "Mets on the verge of acquiring Jay Bruce"

Joel Sherman: Deal, if it happens, likely to include Nimmo, but no Rosario, no Conforto

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Zimmo and two lower-level prospects for the national League's RBI leader. Done deal I believe

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Zimmo and two lower-level prospects for the national League's RBI leader. Done deal I believe

I couldn't argue with that.I also don't know why the Reds would make that deal.

Do we have a new ETA on Duda? I imagine this would mean Loney to the bench?

[Edgy MD]

Well, RBI are certainly what the team needs, but there goes our leadoff hitter of the near future.

Hurry back, José Reyes.

[TransMonk]

Great. Move one of our more productive players (one of the ones we got for FREE) to the bench. Loney is out OPSing all of our other starters save Cespedes (granted, in half the ABs in some instances).

I would be thumbs down on this move.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I liked Zimmo myself but the rest of the Mets season just got pretty interesting.

No sooner had this been announced came a reminder that club is also still in on Lucroy.

They say Bruce will be the regular RF with Grandy/Conforto sharing CF.

[Ceetar]

Has there been realistic talk about Bruce to first? doesn't look like he really plays there at all.

I guess we'll see what happens. Don't really love it. Bruce isn't really that good especially if to play him you have to sit down guys that aren't bad. And if this means Grandy/Conforto in CF you're definitely taking a hit defensively, and Bruce's numbers suck there.