Reds send NL RBIs leader Jay Bruce to Mets

This was a significant improvement from the last two seasons where he only hit.222, averaging 22 home runs and a 76 RBI.

Combining the defensive prowess of these big names in the team, it gave much confidence to the Mets that they will achieve another record next season. The two players they acquired come from the Mets’ minor-league system.

General manager Sandy Alderson admitted that the New York Mets have not yet discussed these matters.

The Mets also reacquired lefty Jon Niese from Pittsburgh in exchange for Antonio Bastardo. Wotell is a 19-year-old left-hander the team selected in the third round of the 2015 draft.

New York Mets outfielder Jay Bruce speaks to the media during an introductory press before playing in his first baseball game as a Met, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, in New York. Chris Archer has pitched poorly (5-14, 4.42 ERA, 155 strikeouts) after finishing fifth in Cy Young voting previous year, but the Dodgers have shown interest in acquiring him.

“Alejandro is the one guy who has played center, and I thought tonight it’s important that we put the right guys in the right spots”, Collins said.

Herrera was seen as the team’s second baseman of the future but the team used him to get a big bat for the lineup. 360 with runners in scoring position is not an indicator of anything other than the fact that he has gotten a hit in 36% of his at-bats with runners on second and/or third base, but there’s an inherent upgrade that is hard to ignore.

I don’t hate the Bruce trade. Awful with runners in scoring position, the Mets started the day ranked 13th out of 15 NL teams in runs.

When asked about those comments, Mets manager Terry Collins said there “are things that will be addressed” once Niese arrives.

Jay Bruce #32 of the Cincinnati Reds is congratulated by teammates after he hit a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the seventh inning at AT&T Park on July 27, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Bruce’s defense would be easy to gloss over if Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson were better than average in center and right field, respectively, but that’s simply not the case. Bruce seems like the best fit, with the Reds looking for good, but not elite talent. Start with the need for offense and work from there. “I think his presence in the middle of our lineup will change things”. If you remember correctly, the Mets were set to acquire Bruce last season, but the deal ultimately fell through.

“I feel like I’ve been getting traded to the Mets for over a year now”, Bruce said. Bruce, who will bat cleanup, owned a career-best. A downside has been his career-long penchant for following a torrid streak with an incredibly cold one.

Adam Rubin of ESPN notes the Mets will have a team option on Bruce for next season at $13 million. If anything, the only frustrating part of this deal is that the team again failed to fully complete their outlined strategy for the second consecutive trading period, as the rumored deal that would send Zack Cozart to the Seattle Mariners never materialized.