7:16pm: Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Jays are also “showing a strong interest” in Dexter Fowler. In the event that the Jays were to sign Fowler, he’d slide over to one of the currently vacant outfield corners, as Kevin Pillar stands out as one of the game’s premier defensive players and is locked in as Toronto’s center fielder.
From my vantage point, Fowler is a vastly better fit for the Blue Jays than Bruce, as he’d provide a definitive defensive upgrade over either Bautista or Saunders in one of the outfield corners and would also add both the speed and lineup balance that Atkins has stated to be offseason priorities. The additions of both Fowler and Morales would give the Jays two switch-hitters to inject some much-needed left-handedness to a lineup that currently features right-handers Russell Martin, Devon Travis, Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson and Pillar.
Signing Fowler would require the Blue Jays to forfeit the No. 24 overall pick in the 2017 draft, though the team could recoup a compensatory pick in the event that either Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion signs elsewhere. Fowler, 31 next March, batted a robust .276/.393/.447 with 13 homers and 13 stolen bases in 551 plate appearances with the Cubs while turning in the best defensive metrics of his career in center field.
4:47pm: The Blue Jays are “among the teams making a push for Jay Bruce,” reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Toronto has an obvious need for corner outfield help following the departures of Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders, and Bruce figures to be a trade candidate now that Yoenis Cespedes is reportedly in agreement with the Mets on a new four-year, $110MM contract.
[Related: Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart]
Toronto has already tried to trade for Bruce once, back in Spring Training, and was believed to be on the verge of completing a three-team trade with the Angels and Reds before the medical reports on some of the minor league talent involved in the deal caused the trade to break down. Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins has stated that he’d like to add some left-handed bats to the lineup to help balance it out, and Toronto has already succeeded to some extent by signing switch-hitting DH Kendrys Morales to a three-year deal.
Bruce, 30 in April, is fresh off his best offensive season since 2013, having batted .250/.309/.506 with 33 homers between the Reds and Mets in 2016. However, he struggled greatly for much of his time with the Mets, and while he did catch fire in the season’s final two weeks, that marks the second straight season in which Bruce performed well for most of the season before fading badly in the second half. He’s also seen his defensive ratings drop dramatically in recent years — perhaps not coincidentally after undergoing knee surgery early in 2014. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -11 this past season, while Ultimate Zone Rating was at -9.
Bruce would give the Jays a short-term bat with plenty of pop, though, and his $13MM salary for the upcoming season is one that the Jays could certainly afford. The Mets picked up a club option on Bruce after the season due to some uncertainty surrounding whether Cespedes would return, and recent reports have indicated that he’d be marketed in the event of a Cespedes re-signing.
Ugh, why?
Anything short of Alex Gordon is a bust for the Jays
Why is that?
You’d be replacing Bautista with a guy in RF whose WAR is basically null for 2016. Sorry brain fart on Gordon, l meant Dexter Fowler…
I was about to say, why Gordon?? haha
Oh ok I was really confused as to why not getting Gordon would be a bust
I want nothing to do with Bruce. If that’s the route the Jays want to take to fill a corner OF spot, they’d be better off just spending money and bringing Saunders back.
Yup, but why not just go with Zeke in that case…
I’m one of the few who’d be okay with a Carrera/Upton platoon in LF provided they get a viable RF option(Fowler). Bruce is not a viable option.
I agree. If the Jays are able to get Fowler and another decent 1B/DH type (please don’t let Smoak be a starter), then I’m fine with a Zeke/Bossman platoon as their 2nd lightest hitting position (after Pillar).
Ezequiel is bad against rightys. Upton too. Bad platoon.
Ezequiel never had a true chance to find a rhythm. He’s a wildcard vs RHP that could be a good fit.
Upton seems to be a lefty masher.
Rebuilding team could afford to let them try, but the Jays should pay for an upgrade.
Martin and Pillar because of their defense will be overlooked here.
3 of the top 7 options vs RHP are likely gone, replaced 1 so far.
4 of the top 7 options vs LHP are likely gone. Replaced 1 so far. Technically 2- Upton pretty much replaced Saunders down the stretch vs LHP.
Bruce works but Saunders would be better.
Fowler best.
Only platoon I’d want is an OF that hits RHP, or a 1B that hits LHP.
Saunders splits are good, guy gets no respect.
Fowler is a monster though.
Revere could slip through the cracks again, but I might prefer Pompey…
13 bats likely– Donaldson, Tulo, Travis, Morales, Smoak, Martin, Pillar, Carrera, Upton plus 4. Backup catcher. Backup middle infield- Barney better fit, but Goins cheaper. Someone that can play 1b/OF, and another OF would fill it out. Pompey?? Gurriel??
Smoak hits RHP alright, so unless a replacement can play OF it doesn’t solve a whole lot. Edwin is super unlikely. Sad parrot.
LHP in the bullpen is the big emergency here. I won’t even get into that yet.
I dont really want Bruce to come to the jays but I wouldnt be overly upset if he did depending on what we gave up. I commented on another post that the jays could may look at a reunion with Melky cabrera from the white sox? Hes on the last year of a 3/42 only making 14m a year. Im sure the white sox would add a few million in if we gave them reese mcguire or mitch nay in return.
mitch nay has very low value at this point. reese mcguire is an interesting starting point, but it would take another lower level prospect as well
Bluejays need a left handed hitters who can crush righties. His overall batting line doesn’t look too good besides his homeruns and rbi’s. Bruce is a lefty who hit .262 with 27hr’s against righties last year
They also already have carrera and uptown who hit lefties very well to platoon with Bruce
I think this is a good move. Not great, but, a good pickup depending on who the Jays trade for him. One year commitment, crushes right hand pitching, can DH and play some first base occasionally , can be partially platooned with Upton against left hand pitching. It gives Anthony Alford one more year in AA/AAA before he is ready for the majors. If we couple this with another signing of a Fowler or similar player, the Jays will have the lefty balance they were seeking.
Every year this guy gets mentioned….and all he does is lose. Teams should all attempt to get him as the Indians would not be interested in this BOZO.
You can’t blame him for playing on awful Reds teams
Mets fans gotta hate Jay Bruce. He kinda tanked them too.
I don’t think he swings it well enough at this point to make up for what are pretty negative reviews of his glove work. Seems like somewhat of a more durable Michael Saunders.
Can’t see the jays giving up much of value unless money comes with him. As a jays fan I can dream on fowler, but this sort of move seems inevitable.
So the Blue Jays will replace a terrible fielding RFer with another terrible fielding RFer? Sounds like a bad idea to me.
They won’t really be worse defensively, so it shouldn’t hurt that way. Bautista did not have a typical season, so Jay might even be able to improve the offense. It’s possible, anyway.
While I suppose it’s possible, I don’t think that is likely. In two-thirds of a down year, Bautista had more fWAR than Bruce has had in the past 3 seasons combined. Neither is a particularly good outfielder at this stage in their careers, both have power potential but Bautista walks twice as much and strikesout less. Why the Jays, and particularly Shapiro, who has lamented the empty cupboard since he came to town, would want to give something up for Bruce instead of pay for a similarly valuable FA is beyond me.
Bruce is not the answer for the Jays, he is too streaky and is not a replacement for Bautista., I think Trumbo is a better fit.
Take him, please!
Get rid of him and granderson. Go trade for betts or jbj.
Right, because the Red Sox are dying to get rid of one of them and it wouldn’t take much
Betts for Syndergaard might get a long look!
Syndergaard’s great, but he alone wouldn’t be enough for Betts.
I’d like to keep Granderson if they need to. He hit very well behind Cespedes.
PLEASE take him and we’ll give you D’arnaud as a throw-in for nothing (He is a nothing already).
Maybe Bruce for one of the MiLB arms: ask Zeichner, settle for Harris or for Greene plus a high risk development leaguer?
Not Zeichner – Zeuch; autocorrect.
You are not getting Zeuch or Greene for Bruce i can promise you that.
Or Harris for that matter.
That depends more on whether the Mets eat money.
No it doesnt. 1 year of Bruce no matter the financial cost is not worth any of those prospects. Bruce doesnt bring a lot of value not that much different from Chris Carter. Giving up any of those prospects is a mistake
Bruce is a horrible fit for Toronto, Fowler is a much smarter option.
The Giants should grab Bruce for LF.
Fowler costs a pick AND an extended contract. I can’t see TOR committing to that. Bruce is a 1yr stop gap that can give them 80% of EE/Bautista without the risky long-term commitment. Yes he is streaky and yes his splits are noticeable, but they need a lefty OF.
I expect DET & TOR to put together attractive offers.
Let’s go Sandy!
Fowler may cost a draft pick but with Edwin and Jose leaving, the Jays would actually come out with $1.3 million more in pool money. So losing the 24th pick in exchange for two picks in the mid/late 30’s plus getting Fowler is much better than keeping their pick and trading an asset for a lesser player in Bruce.
The giants want an actually okay defender. I mean, I’m not saying we’ll get one, but it would be nice. FOR ONCE.
Also, big power hitter plus AT
Jay Bruce is an incredible player, he has a great attitude and he’s a likely rebound candidate in 2017. Trust me, you want him.
Sincerely,
A Mets fan
Fowler is a better fit for the Jays over Bruce, but I still think Trumbo would be the best option offensively. They lost a lot of offense with the loss of Bautista and EE. Pillar can cover the whole outfield.
I don’t personally see a fit. Sure he hits HR but he’s as bad in the OF as Bautista is and he’s 6 years younger, meaning it’s gonna get worse. He’d fit at 1st and showed he was capable there in the past but if that’s the plan, why not go after Chris Carter? He’ll give you similar production for significantly less money and no draft pick loss.
For the record, I don’t want either Carter or Trumbo, it’d just continue the all or nothing approach that has failed in the playoffs 2 years running. Fowler fits the lineup perfectly.
I think Fowler could fit every lineup perfectly. Can’t see him going cheap.
Carter simply because he’d be cheap, but Trumbo would be maddening. Not far behind Edwin on cost when the money should be spent on outfield and bullpen.
If they spent on Edwin and didn’t fix outfield and bullpen, I’d be nearly as outraged. If they spent on Edwin and Fowler, as well as the bullpen, I’d switch my cellphone to Rogers again. So many playoff profits to reinvest like Kansas City did, but will they do it??….I’m not banking on it.
As a Jays fan, I’d much rather have Fowler. He may not have the same power as Bruce, but he’s a better all-around player. He’s a good defender. He’s a good base runner. He’s be a good fit for the Jays
Fowler fills 2 needs. OF and leadoff hitter and travis can move to 9. Fowler is an above average switch hitter and underrated with his glove. However, he has below average arm strength. Jays will be getting a great table setter and balances out their lineup.
Fowler
Donaldson
Eddy
Morales
Tulo
Bruce
Martin
Travis
Pillar
Not bad?
1. Fowler
2 morales
3.donaldson
4.eddy
5. Tulo
6. Travis
7. Martin
8. Pillar
9. Carrera
Switch travis/Carrera againstt lefties so Upton can bat 6th.. Travis 9th
Bruce would increase his numbers at Rogers Center and be back on the market with comp pick attached to him next year. Could turn out ok.
I like Bruce, but not as a defender. A platoon with Melvin might work, though, and signing Fowler would be a terrific move.
Yes Fowler would be a good addition, Jay Bruce not much,
Rather see the Jays trying Trumbo or maybe go with Brandon Moss instend of Bruce..
Fowler doesn’t fit with the blue jays at all. Especially if they re-sign baustisa and EE. Its a team full of thugs they don’t deserve Fowler. I think he goes west and goes home to the Rockies. Blackmon to the cubs for soler and 3 prospects and PTBNL. Jon Jay. DFA in June..