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Mets The Favorites For Jay Bruce

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The non-waiver trade deadline is just under nine hours away, and rumors/transactions figure to be flying around quickly today. Reds outfielder Jay Bruce remains one of the likeliest candidates to be dealt between now and the 4pm ET deadline. As of Sunday, the Giants were said to be making a “strong push” for Bruce, who is also said to be a prime target of the Mets. Bruce has also drawn interest from the Indians, Dodgers and Rangers, among others, over the past few days, and the Rays have at times been mentioned as a possible factor in three-team trade scenarios involving Bruce.

We’ll keep track of all the day’s Bruce rumors here in this post…

  • Morosi now tweets that the Mets and Reds have made progress on a deal involving Bruce.
  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Mets are the favorites to land Bruce, but the Rangers and Giants are still in. Talks could stretch into the afternoon, he notes.

Earlier Updates

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports/MLB.com tweets that the Mets remain in active talks with the Reds as of Monday morning. ESPN’s Jayson Stark also tweets that conversations with the Mets remain active, while talks with the Giants and Dodgers are currently in “slow mo.”
  • Heyman tweets that the Mets don’t seem to have heard anything on Bruce this morning (Twitter link). He also tweets that the Giants haven’t heard anything about Bruce being dealt this morning.
  • USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Reds have “found a match” for a Bruce trade and expects Cincinnati to trade Bruce to a National League club this morning. That team is not the Dodgers, according to Nightengale. The Giants and Mets are the two non-Dodgers NL clubs that have been most heavily linked to Bruce in the past day or two.
  • Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports tweets the Giants, Mets, Indians and others have been in on Bruce recently. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, meanwhile, lists the Giants, Dodgers, Mets, Rangers and Blue Jays all as teams that still have some interest in Bruce as of Monday morning.

Latest On Yasiel Puig

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The Dodgers are “still trying to move” outfielder Yasiel Puig, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Puig’s name has popped up in trade rumors lately — most recently surfacing in rumors involving Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.

Puig, as Heyman points out, has seen his overall offensive output decline in each of his four Major League seasons. Now 25 years of age, Puig burst onto the scene in 2013 at the age of 22 with a scintillating .319/.391/.534 slash in 104 games. That was good for an OPS+ of 159, but his OPS+ dipped to 145 in 2014, 110 in 2015 and just 89 in 2016, marking the first season of his career in which he’s actually been a below-average contributor. Puig still draws positive marks from defensive metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved, but he no longer looks like the bargain he did during the first two seasons of his career.

Signed to a seven-year, $42MM contract out of Cuba prior to the 2012 season, Puig’s deal allows him to opt into arbitration upon accruing three years of Major League service, which he’s done this year. He’s slated to earn $6.5MM in 2017 and $7.5MM in 2018, but he could stand to earn more via the arbitration process, so he could very well go that route. The three remaining years on Puig’s deal could make him an appealing option for both contenders and rebuilding clubs, although the fact that those three years come at an escalating salary makes it more difficult to ask a team to surrender high-quality talent in return.

All that being said, it remains largely unknown at this point whether there’s significant interest on the market in a player who has had his ups and downs both on and off the field. Heyman notes on Twitter that the Mets, who are among the clubs rumored to be looking at bats, don’t have any interest in Puig. While other contending organizations may have different views of his potential to contribute in 2016 — it’s always tough to know a given team’s front office sees in a player — we certainly haven’t heard rumors of any particular pursuer.

The smart money, perhaps, is on a club that doesn’t have an immediate need for production taking a chance on Puig returning to his established ceiling. Doing so probably means taking on at least some of the remaining financial commitments, which is certainly a deterrent, but it’s possible to imagine a higher-dollar veteran being moved to facilitate a deal. That, presumably, was part of the general thrust of the chatter relating to Bruce. It’s never wise to rule out the creative machinations of the L.A. front office, which has engineered various complicated scenarios in recent years. Unless and until we learn of interest from another team, though, it’s tough to guess at what kind of arrangement might be concocted to lead to a trade of the enigmatic Puig.

Injury Notes: Asdrubal, Norris, Tulowitzki

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The non-waiver trade deadline is less than 24 hours away, and there are a handful of injuries from today’s games that could potentially impact the manner in which teams approach the trade market. A quick look at the day’s notable injury news…

  • Asdrubal Cabrera left today’s game with a strained left patellar tendon, and Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets that Mets manager Terry Collins is “very concerned” about Cabrera, though Collins has yet to check in with GM Sandy Alderson about the course of action in the event that Cabrera requires a trip to the disabled list. The Mets lost one insurance policy at shortstop when Jose Reyes was placed on the disabled list yesterday. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin writes that the injury is the same as the one suffered by Cabrera in Spring Training, when he returned in less than two weeks, but Collins points out that Cabrera didn’t have to be carried off the field when he was injured in Spring Training. In today’s instance, Cabrera was unable to put any pressure on his leg. The team could potentially just look for short-term stopgaps depending on the severity of Cabrera’s injury, and the fact that former Met Ruben Tejada is presently in DFA limbo at least merits a mention. You can check out their internal options at Roster Resource.
  • Dodgers right-hander Bud Norris exited Sunday’s start against the D-backs after facing just two hitters due to muscle tightness in his back, the team announced. The severity of Norris’ injury remains unclear, but with the Dodgers already aggressively seeking rotation upgrades, another physical issue for one of their rotation members is a troubling development. The Dodgers figure to give further updates on Norris after the game.
  • Troy Tulowitzki has a “small little chip fracture” in his right thumb, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters, including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Tulowitzki is hopeful that he can avoid the disabled list, but Nicholson-Smith tweets that he’ll first need to demonstrate that he can grip a bat and throw. He was not able to grip a bat today, Nicholson-Smith notes.

Indians Are “Distinct Favorites” For Jonathan Lucroy; Mets, Rangers Out

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10:40pm: The Indians are the “distinct favorites” to acquire Lucroy from the Brewers, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan (on Twitter), who adds that the Mets and Rangers are “out” on Lucroy.

7:58pm: A mystery team remains in the mix for Lucroy, according to Heyman (Twitter link). The unknown team is not on Lucroy’s no-trade list, he adds. Rosenthal hears the same, tweeting that there’s a third team in play along with the Indians and Mets.

5:05pm: The Rangers are out on Lucroy and the Mets didn’t make any headway on talks with the Brewers today, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). Cleveland is looking more and more like the favorite, he notes.

4:40pm: The Brewers are “getting close” to a Lucroy trade, and the Indians are still in the mix, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Notably, Cleveland is on Lucroy’s no-trade list, though it’s not clear how much (if at all) that fact would impede talks. Lucroy has stated his desire to play for a winning club multiple times this year, and Cleveland has a 4.5 game lead on the AL Central.

4:34pm: Rosenthal tweets that a pair of rival general managers believe the Indians to be the front-runners for Lucroy. Rosenthal mentions Class-A catcher Francisco Mejia as a possible component in a Lucroy package.

3:43pm: Manager Craig Counsell tells reporters that GM David Stearns is “progressing” on a Lucroy trade (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that there is a “strong sense” among some Brewers officials that Lucroy has played his final game for the team.

3:31pm: Lucroy isn’t in the lineup tonight, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that he is not playing because he is being discussed in trades.

2:00pm: The Mets have made a three-player offer to the Brewers in a bid to land catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. That package would be centered around current Mets receiver Travis d’Arnaud, with outfielder Brandon Nimmo or a “comparable” player constituting the second player on offer.

Previous reports had suggested that New York fell shy in its initial bid for Lucroy, which reportedly also was built on the talented but fragile d’Arnaud. He comes with three years of arb control and has long been regarded as a top catching prospect, so Milwaukee would be swapping in a longer-term solution behind the plate — if it believes in him.

Though d’Arnaud has showed his talent at times, he has also already been shelved with injuries at times and hasn’t yet put it all together at the plate. After a strong showing in 2015, d’Arnaud has fallen back to a .238/.291/.323 batting line with a pair of home runs in his 141 plate appearances this season.

As for Nimmo, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Milwaukee is “fond” of the 23-year-old, who has reached the majors for the first time this year. He hasn’t shown much in his brief action in the bigs, but has enjoyed something of a breakout year at Triple-A, where he owns a .336/.409/.517 slash that dwarfs his prior output while rising through the system.

There certainly appear to be many other teams still in pursuit of Lucroy. The Brewers reportedly asked interested teams to submit bids for the outstanding receiver, whose highly favorable contract includes another year of cheap control. Lucroy received plenty of attention in the rumor mill yesterday, with a range of teams — including those of the mysterious variety — said to be sniffing around.

It’s not yet clear, though, what kinds of offers Milwaukee has fielded from other organizations. The club has placed an understandably high asking price on a player who is one of the best in the majors at a premium defensive position. There may not be any single team that has a desperate need for him, but as the Mets’ interest shows, clubs looking for ways to make and succeed in the postseason always have cause to pursue upgrades, and Lucroy is the type of player who can push out even a perfectly solid regular.

Jay Bruce Rumors: Saturday

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Since it’s probably fair to assume we’re going to learn quite a bit of new information on Reds outfielder Jay Bruce today, we’ll go ahead and kick off the weekend’s deadline chatter with a post to house it. You can check back on last night’s whirlwind series of reports right here. Bottom line: there was talk of movement with the Dodgers, possibly involving Yasiel Puig and/or a third team, but nothing has come to fruition as of yet.

Here’s the latest on the veteran slugger, who is putting up career-best numbers at the plate and comes with another season of control via a $13MM club option:

  • Rosenthal tweets that the Mets and Reds continue to discuss a Bruce swap, but nothing is close at this time.
  • The Mets are “very involved” in the pursuit of Bruce, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter link). New York, of course, discussed Bruce with Cincinnati at last year’s trade deadline but ultimately secured Yoenis Cespedes instead.
  • Stark reports that the Reds aren’t asking for elite prospects for Bruce but want two or three good players from the next tier down (Twitter link).

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers have at least “checked in” on Bruce, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Texas could be a fit with Prince Fielder out for the year and Shin-Soo Choo dealing with ongoing back issues, though Crasnick notes that pitching remains the priority.
  • The Mariners were said yesterday to be both out and then in on Bruce, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (Twitter links) that there’s nothing happening on that front (though the teams are discussing shortstop Zack Cozart). Another team with questionable interest is the Giants, and Rosenthal suggests that they are still kicking around the idea of adding Bruce. The idea would be to slot his bat into the outfield mix now, and then use him as a replacement for free agent-to-be Angel Pagan in 2017.
  • Though the Dodgers are still involved on Bruce, last night’s chatter of a three-team swap is dead, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter). It was never entirely clear just what that scenario might have looked like, though it seemed that Puig was a piece of the picture.
  • Bruce’s market represents a “moving target,” Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. (Those of you who followed yesterday’s frenzy will surely understand this.) As things stand as the weekend begins, the Orioles are out, per Heyman. The Nationals are focused first on improving their bullpen, though seemingly remain involved. That leaves the Dodgers as the obvious suitor, with the Mets and Mariners among the other organizations that have at least some ongoing interest in Bruce.

Mets Place Jose Reyes On DL, Sign Justin Ruggiano

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The Mets have placed infielder Jose Reyes on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left intercostal muscle and signed veteran outfielder Justin Ruggiano to a Major League deal, the team announced. Ruggiano is in the lineup for tonight’s game.

The Mets reunited with Reyes earlier this year in spite of a dreadful 2015 season and a 51-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. Reyes has shown more extra-base pop than he has in years, but his overall productivity hasn’t been especially impressive; he’s hitting .239/.278/.493 in 72 plate appearances while primarily playing third base. The extent of Reyes’ injury isn’t known, but if he’s expected to miss significant time it could further motivate the Mets to add a bat to spend some time at third base.

Ruggiano, 34, was released from the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this week, where he’d batted .226/.321/.427 in 191 plate appearances. Those numbers are fairly pedestrian, but Ruggiano has a long track record of hitting left-handed pitching quite well at the Major League level. In parts of eight MLB seasons, he’s slashed .273/.336/.521 with 25 homers (538 PAs).

Position Player Notes: Beltran, Norris, Pearce, Jay

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The Indians have had some talks with the Yankees about veteran right fielder Carlos Beltran, among other players, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Though Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has previously stated that financial considerations won’t be a major factor in the team’s deadline moves, Heyman suggests that may not be the case. Beltran is earning $15MM this year, with about $5.5MM left to go the rest of the way.

  • Another American League contender, the Rangers, have also approached the Yankees on Beltran, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). While Texas could certainly decide to plug a big bat onto its roster with Prince Fielder down for the year, it seems that its interest in Beltran isn’t terribly strong at present.
  • We’ve heard chatter suggesting that the Rangers could look at Jonathan Lucroy, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that’s not likely (Twitter link). Padres receiver Derek Norris, though, could be in play for Texas, per the report. That’s not exactly a new link — the sides were said to be weighing a deal this spring — but we haven’t seen clear indications of present interest.
  • While the Mets like Steve Pearce, the cost of acquisition is too high at present, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The veteran slugger would certainly add some punch to a moribund Mets lineup, though he wouldn’t address the team’s new need for a right-handed-hitting center fielder now that Juan Lagares is headed for surgery. But Pearce would help fill in for Jose Reyes, who could require a DL stint, and would also represent a platoon option at any infield position but shortstop as well as the corner outfield.
  • One under-the-radar name to watch in the next few days is Padres outfielder Jon Jay. While he won’t return before the deadline, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (Twitter links) that he’s still drawing interest. The Pads would surely prefer to wait for him to resume playing, but passing the affordable veteran through waivers may prove a challenge, so the best value may be found now — even if Jay won’t command quite what he would have had he remained healthy to this point.

Latest On Jonathan Lucroy Sweepstakes

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10:54pm: The Rangers could view a strike for Lucroy as a way to improve their pitching, given his highly-regarded work behind the plate, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. With Texas finding high asking prices on the pitching market, the report suggests, the club could make a move for a group of Milwaukee pieces that might include Lucroy, a quality reliever, and possibly even a starter.

3:41pm: There’s a mystery team involved on Lucroy, tweets Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, and it isn’t the Red Sox or the Mariners. Those two clubs would certainly have been among the plausible suitors for the veteran.

2:49pm: The Braves have inquired on Lucroy, according to Rosenthal (via Twitter). At present, though, it doesn’t appear as if the sides are likely to strike a deal. Atlanta’s interest is limited, it seems, because it would need to extend the veteran receiver in order to justify trading him.

The teams is “wary of paying twice” — first in the swap, then in a hypothetical extension — though certainly that’s the price of poker when  just a fact of life for a club that would competing with teams that have a much higher present need for a top-quality backstop. It’s no sure thing, either, that Lucroy himself would agree to a new contract.

12:29pm: Yesterday, Milwaukee asked teams with interest to make offers of a certain “minimum standard,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). It’s not entirely clear whether the request was for best and final offers, but Rosenthal adds that discussions are still taking place.

Among several teams to put their chips on the table are the Mets, per the report. With the Brewers still evaluating their options, multiple teams remain in the hunt.

11:27am: Jonathan Lucroy is one of the most talked-about names on the trade market right now, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick adds some context to the complications in working out a deal, reporting the eight teams to which Lucroy can block a trade (Twitter link). Lucroy can block trades to the Twins, Angels, Athletics, Padres, Mariners, Nationals and, most interestingly, the Indians and Tigers. Both of the two latter teams have been connected to Lucroy in trade rumors this week, though both Crasnick and his colleague Jayson Stark were told this morning that the Tigers are no longer in the picture (links to Twitter).

Cleveland’s presence on Lucroy’s no-trade list certainly doesn’t preclude a deal from happening — Lucroy has candidly stated to the media that he wants to play for a contending team on multiple occasions in the past six months — but it does further complicate matters for the Indians. While Lucroy’s postseason aspirations could make him willing, to some extent, to waive his no-trade rights, he could also wield that clause as leverage in an attempt to coerce the Indians into an extension or, at the very least, restructuring his contract to give him a raise on next year’s wildly affordable $5.25MM salary.

The Indians are said to be discussing Lucroy and left-hander Will Smith with the Brewers, but they face competition even if the Tigers and Astros are out of the market, as has been reported recently. The Rangers, Red Sox and Mets — none of whom are on his no-trade list — have all still been linked to Lucroy, and a premium player of his value figures to draw widespread interest. (Indeed, FanRag’s Jon Heyman last night again mentioned a mystery team in the mix.) The Mets were said to offer a package centered around Travis d’Arnaud, which was quickly dismissed, but FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported last night that the two side “re-engaged” on trade talks. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin adds a bit more detail to that story this morning, reporting that the Brewers circled back with the Mets and proposed a counter-offer that “was not out-of-hand rejected.” The Mets, he notes, have no intention of dealing either shortstop prospect Amed Rosario or first base prospect Dominic Smith, though.

Dodgers Among Teams In Talks On Jay Bruce; Yasiel Puig May Be Involved

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8:31pm: Morosi says the Rays are still a player; he tweets that the team could end up shipping out two starters, one to each of the two other teams.

It seems that the reason for the involvement of a third team is that Cinci prefers position-player prospects, per Heyman (via Twitter), while the Dodgers are somewhat more inclined to deal arms. Of course, an earlier report suggested that the Rays’ role could involve sending a pitcher to the Reds, so the entire situation still seems in flux at present.

8:08pm: Tampa Bay is actually not involved in any Dodgers-Reds scenarios, Stark tweets.

7:36pm: The Rays appear to be the potential third team, per a Morosi tweet. Tampa Bay has been chatting with Los Angeles about scenarios that “could link up” with the talks between the Reds and Dodgers.

7:23pm: Talks between the Reds and Dodgers involving Bruce and Puig “didn’t materialize,” according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). He adds, though, that there are other trade scenarios still being tossed around between the clubs.

6:59pm: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig could be in play in the talks regarding Bruce, Stark tweets. He’d presumably be pushed out of a regular role if a significant corner outfielder is added, and Stark says that L.A. has been trying to move him in proposals with other teams.

6:24pm: The Reds and Dodgers could be putting together another three-team arrangement after joining up for such a deal over the winter, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets. Details — including the would-be facilitator — remain unclear, but Bruce would end up in Los Angeles if it comes to fruition.

5:46pm: The Dodgers remain in the hunt for Bruce, with MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweeting that there’s dialogue between the clubs and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag adding (via Twitter) that he has heard the same. Los Angeles isn’t keen on the idea of giving up much in the way of prospects to make a deal, though, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

Heyman also lists the Nationals, Orioles, Mariners, and Mets as teams with ongoing interest — many of whom have been tied to Bruce in recent days (if not for longer). Despite the report below suggesting that Seattle had left the Bruce market, Heyman’s report adds to another suggesting that he’s still in play. And while the Giants were also said to be out on Bruce, Nightengale tweets that they are still holding talks — even with Hunter Pence now set to return from the DL.

5:28pm: Two new entrants in the market have ratcheted up the bidding on Bruce, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The pair of mystery teams has been “aggressive,” per the report.

It remains somewhat difficult to guess where exactly the most focused interest could come from. Bruce, after all, would be a flexible addition for most AL contenders and could also fit with an NL team that is looking to add pop and has favorable scouting reports on his glove in right. With an added year of team control through an affordable-enough option, there’s also some future value — and the possibility of an offseason deal to return something different if Bruce isn’t needed past the present season in his new home.

2:16pm: The Mets are among the clubs that have spoken with the Reds about outfielder Jay Bruce, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). Among the other teams in dialogue with Cincinnati are the Dodgers, Nationals, and Orioles, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick adds on Twitter.

New York’s level of interest isn’t too great at the moment, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). And Crasnick adds that the Nats and O’s appear to have their sights set on other areas at present. Likewise, we’ve heard that the Dodgers have engaged on a number of other possibilities, including Josh Reddick.

Two other potential suitors — the Giants and Mariners — “appear to be out,” according to Crasnick. With Seattle and San Francisco apparently no longer in pursuit, and none of the teams listed above appearing to represent aggressive pursuers, it’s not hard to see why Cincinnati president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty expressed frustration yesterday over the response that Bruce has drawn on the market.

Bruce has put up quite a nice season after two straight duds. And he comes with control rights for 2017; though his $13MM option isn’t cheap, it looks more appealing than committing a similar annual amount for a longer term to an alternative on the free agent market this winter.

It has seemed at various times that Bruce’s big power numbers, added year of control, and eminent availability would make him a desirable and quite likely trade candidate. But Jocketty suggested a deal isn’t inevitable for a player that the Reds value quite highly.

Latest On Jim Johnson

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9:08pm: Johnson is entering tonight’s game in a save situation, so it certainly doesn’t appear that a deal is nearing finalization at this moment.

6:01pm: The Braves are nearing a deal involving veteran right-hander Jim Johnson, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). He adds that the Blue Jays and Mets are among the teams that have shown at least some interest in the reliever. As MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes on Twitter, Atlanta is carrying ten pen arms tonight, which could be due in part to the possibility of a swap going down.

Johnson, 33, could join infielder Kelly Johnson in signing with the Braves in consecutive years, only to be dealt each summer. Last season, he went to the Dodgers as part of the monster, three-team swap engineered at the deadline, only to re-sign with Atlanta on a one-year, $2.5MM pact.

For the season, Johnson carries a 4.21 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9. Johnson’s average fastball velocity has dropped just below 93 mph for the first time in his career, but that hasn’t stopped the sinker-baller from checking in with a hefty groundball rate — it stands at 56.4% at present. He has been prone to the long ball when batters have put it in the air, with a 16.7% HR/FB rate, but he’s only allowing 0.74 dingers per nine.

Clearly, Johnson isn’t going to be valued like he was in his heyday as the Orioles closer. But teams looking to add depth to their pen will surely take a look, particularly if they are intrigued by the idea of adding an arm that’s capable of generating lots of grounders without adding significant payroll or coughing up much in terms of prospects.

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