The Orioles and Reds have engaged in discussions regarding Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. But there isn’t any “momentum” toward a trade, at least at this point.
There’s a lot to like about Bruce as a player, but his trade value remains uncertain. He’s a perennial threat to hit 25 to 30 long balls, a quality baserunner, and a generally well-regarded defender in the corner outfield. But Bruce has fallen shy of the league average in OBP in each of the last two years and his defense and baserunning metrics have also dipped — though, it should be noted, DRS saw him as a +5 defender in right last year. Then again, the power is still there, as his .209 ISO in 2015 fell just shy of a .215 career mark. And youth is still on his side.
Bruce is still just 28 years of age as he enters his ninth big league season. He’ll earn $12.5MM in 2016 and can be controlled for the following year with a $13MM option — or be bought out for $1MM. That’s not exactly cheap given Bruce’s inconsistent results, but the O’s have payroll flexibility even after adding Wieters onto the ledger.
Whether or not discussions go anywhere, it’s worth considering Baltimore’s interest. The team is also said to have checked in on another short-term, high-priced lefty bat in Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, though Bruce makes for a more obvious fit given the team’s needs in the corner outfield. With Matt Wieters deciding to return on a pricey, one-year deal by accepting his qualifying offer, it could be that the O’s are looking to add quality veterans around him — and to fill in for the southpaw power production of Chris Davis — without over-committing for future seasons.
No mention of what reds would get. Hope it’s not yet another pitcher.
Really the only decent prospects the Os have are pitchers. Trey Mancini is only legit position player and he’s not being given up only for Bruce
The Reds would love to have Jomar Reyes, they’d gladly take Chance Sisco as well and probably would even take Dariel Alvarez (though likely not as a single piece).
I don’t think the O’s have the juice to make this trade. What decent prospects do they have to give up? Unless the Reds are just willing to dump him, the O’s won’t get him.
Givens, Lee, Harvey, Bundy, Wright, Wilson, Alvarez, Walker, Sisco, Mancini. The Os have plenty of pieces to make a deal but what they are doing now looks like trying to find a team willing to dump a guy like Bruce by not giving up Harvey, Bundy, or Mancini. Those three each could get back better than an expensive low obp outfielder. They will most likely only use one of those three or 2 of 3 to get a pitcher like Ross or as part of a bigger type deal
They have a lot of pieces, but not the right pieces. The Reds are looking for major league ready OF with upside. None of those are OFs, Reyes is years away and Walker and Sisco are blocked at their positions. Stewart is only at high A and Yastrzemski has question marks about his ceiling. Maybe Alvarez, but I just honestly don’t know a lot about him
If the Os had a major league ready outfielder with upside he would be starting for the Os next season. Outside of Adam Jones the Os are void of both right and left.
If the Os had a young, cheap OF with upside, why would they trade him for an older, expensive OF with some weaknesses?
Because Bruce has proven he will hit 25 HRs and drive in 90 runs every year.
A prospect is just that: a prospect. May be great, may forget how to tie his own cleats when he gets to the bigs.
Same old win now versus win later adage.
If the Reds are willing to move Bruce I don’t think it’s about getting a quantity or high quality prospects in return. It’s more of a salary dump and a change of scenery to reset the team. If the O’s were willing to take on all of Bruce’s salary the Reds might not get more than a couple of mid-level prospects who are a year or two away from being MLB-ready.
It may be a little of both. One high prospect or a couple mid level would both dump salary and help the Reds rebuild
I don’t think the Reds see moving Bruce as a salary dump. I think they see him, like Frazier, as somebody they’ll hold onto if their demands aren’t met. They’ll have no trouble affording Bruce in 2016, and with a good first half their bargaining position may improve.
What in the world do the Orioles have to trade? They got nothin’
Thanks to Dan and his ridiculous dumping of every worthwhile prospect in the system
Dan didn’t “dump every worthwhile prospect.” Other than Rodriquez in Boston, no one really reads on the Richter Scale that I remember. The problem is that the O’s have literally been unable to develop any good pitching prospects for quite some time now and they have not drafted well in recent years.
I think injuries to the more highly regarded pitching prospects have been a big part of the lack of development of pitching for Baltimore as well. It really wasn’t all that long ago Bundy and Harvey were thought of very highly, but now who knows what they have in these two pitchers?
I don’t see a match anywhere with the Reds and Orioles unless one of the teams does something absurd.
Harvey or bundy is more than enough I’d say givens and Mancini get it done. Bruce has little trade value imo. Reds wanna dump salary
Harvey won’t happen. I’m not sure how Bundy is viewed anymore. He is a elite pitching prospect with massive injury questions.
Still rated very high and he is expected to recover from TJ but did have some soreness in AFL and they shut him down. Really biggest issue with Bundy is the Os have to keep him on the 25 this season. He signed a major league contract so every year he started in minors it cost the team an option and now he’s out of them.
I’d love to see Cincinnati acquire Harvey and Givens, but can;t imagine Baltimore giving up Harvey. I don’t see Mancini as a good fit because Votto is signed to a long-term deal.
As bad as Bruce has been of late, he still has plenty of value. There is no risk with 1 year deals (and the fact that he has a club option makes it even more friendly).
The Orioles in a rough spot. Machado and Jones are a good core. But the Orioles have massive holes at 1B,2B, and both corners. Their rotation is awful. Dylan Bundy is no longer a glimmer off hope and Hunter Harvey is a ways away.
I mean, is it even worth it to push the chips in right now?
“Massive holes at 1B,2B”??? 1B yes, but have you not heard of a young man named Jonathan Schoop? Kid is being called a top defender in baseball at 2nd base and showed flashes of great offensive potential in 2015, still in his early 20’s, still under control for multiple years. Not sure how you see that as a “massive hole”
The O’s are far from having a massive hole at 2B. Schoop is by far one of the better fielding 2B in the AL, shows serious power potential and is only entering his age 24 season. You can call out the O’s for having holes elsewhere, but listing 2B as one of them shows you as very ill-informed.
Wieters can be traded by June 15, so they can unload more than 1/2 of his salary if he bounces back.
I don’t know what the Orioles have to offer or want to offer. I think their biggest need is replacements for Davis and Chen. They should address that via free agency and spend some money.
Alternatively they can just tank the next couple of years and rebuild the farm system.
The bloom has sort of come of Duquettes rose since he was not allowed to go to Toronto. Not sure his head is in the game anymore
Correction. Wieters can’t be traded any time before June 15 without his permission.
I wonder if Bundy is a piece here. Cincinnati would be a place where Dylan Bundy MIGHT have a chance at a big league career. No pressure on winning next year when he has to stay in the bigs or else. It would basically give him at least one “redshirt” year in the majors without the team depending on him to get them in the playoffs. If he stays in Baltimore, chances are he will be lost for nothing or potentially cost the Orioles the playoffs if he struggles.
Everyone talking about these pitchers as the core pieces of this trade.
The Reds are not trading for more pitching. They already have a huge logjam of young arms either at MLB or soon to be to sort through.
The cornerstone of any trade the Reds make is going to be a position player. Period.
But what if you are wrong? Question mark. There is the old adage that you can never have enough pitching. I agree that they need young position players, but if a young pitcher is the best that you can get from a team, you don’t take a lesser prospect just to fill a need when you are in the midst of a major rebuild.
At that point I think the Reds just don’t make the trade then. Yes it would be optimal to flip players such as Frazier and Bruce, but the Reds could always just keep both of them. They aren’t at risk of losing either to free agency and could look to trade again at the deadline
So either pay Chris Davis or trade away half of what you do have of a farm system to try to replace him. Lets just pay Davis, Duquette
Maybin was better than Bruce last season. And at like half the price, and he only brought back two relievers. I highly doubt he brings in anything big.
Bruce has much greater upside than Maybin. Bruce has 30 HR potential every season regardless of whether he hits .220 or .250. Maybin’s career track record isn’t all that encouraging. Last season in he hit .267 with 10 HRs, but those are above his career numbers and a lot of teams will value the 20 extra HRs from Bruce over the 40 points in BA
Maybin has more speed, better defensively, worth more money, and had a higher WAR.
Maybin does steal more bases, so I’ll give you speed. Defensively, Bruce was worth 5 defensive runs saved last season. Maybin, -16. Not better defensively.
They’re two different players. Nobody is looking at Bruce to chase down balls in center and steal bases. He is a left handed power bat who is plus defensively in RF that a lot of teams are looking for.
I just don’t think it’s fair to compare return on the two because of the discrepancies.
Yeah agreed with this. Bruce is WAY more valuable than Maybin. Speedy centerfielders with a decent but empty BA are not hard to find, especially ones that are mediocre to bad defensively. Corner guys with 30 HR pop who can also play a decent outfield are much rarer. No comparison.
Back to back seasons of a sub-1 war for 12.5 million isn’t getting you top prospects. Just sign one of the other dozen free agents out there for less
I think Orioles need a better closer. Orioles should get Aroldis Chapman,Cincinnati Reds said need to sell/get rid of him
Os need closer they could get Aroldis chapman
Bundy, Mancini and Sisco to San Diego for Will Myers and Tyson Ross.
Neil Walker to the Mets for Wilmer Flores and a low tier minor leaguer.
Pedro Alvarez to the White Sox for Adam La Roche plus some money.