3/20/17

Mack Ade - Jay Bruce



Good morning.


I’m a little confused here. Why is uber-rock group Cream’s bass player, Jack Bruce, doing on the roster when he died in 2014 at the age of 71.

Bruce was a great bassist who… err… what? It wasn’t Jack Bruce? It was JAY Bruce… ?

Never mind…

First some bio – Jay Bruce came out of West Brook High School, in Beaumont, Texas, and was drafted as the 12th person overall in the 2005 draft. He passed on a full ride at Tulane and joined the Cincinnati GCL team (122-AB, .270).

Bruce has developed into an RBI machine… 97 in 2011… 99 in 2012… 109 in 2013… and 99 last year combined with the Reds and Mets.

He was named to the all-star team last year (still looking for a problem here) and was traded to the Mets on August 1st for 2B Dilson Herrera (2016: AAA-Mets, .276… AAA-Reds, .266) and P Max Wotell (rookie-Mets, 6-starts, 3.94… rookie-Reds, 3-starts, 15.00).

Lastly, the cost for an all-star outfielder, that was leading the league in RBIs at the time of the trade (still looking…), was totally in line. The Mets now have decided to renew their deal with Bruce and pay him, what I feel is, a modest $13mil for the 2017 season.

Opinion – Okay, so this guy is never going to win a Golden Glove and he doesn’t run like a gazelle (he’s faster than Brandon Nimmo). And yes, he did start his Mets career sort of in a fog. But let’s judge the guy over the entire season. Rotowire rates his 2016 .250 batting average as ‘weak’, but also rates his .506 slugging percentage as ‘great’ and his ISO as ‘Elite’. Don’t you want an elite outfielder on your team?

I’m sticking with Bruce as my right fielder until my phone rings and a better option is offered. 

8 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

We've got a World Series to win, so let's hope Jack Bruce is the Cream of the crop and that he wasn't "Born under a bad sign." Hopefully he is an All Star OF for Mets in 2017.

Unknown said...

"I'm so Glad" you all came to this conclusion and to put it another way "our" RBI guy D. Wright has 306 in the last 6 years compared to Bruce's 404 in the last 4...just saying.

Tom Brennan said...

"RBI" for David Wright will soon mean Retirement Because of Injury

That Adam Smith said...

I dunno, Mack. An awful lot of the damage the guy has done in his career has been in a bandbox ballpark, with OPB machine Joey Votto hitting in front of him. Otherwise, he looks a lot like Granderson with fewer walks. I would be happy to see him have a great year for this team, but I think he's very overrated, when you look at the hole package. And every game he plays likely means less AB's for Conforto, who is not only your future, but could be (and I believe probably will be) more aluaemoverall this year. Then again, this is why they play the games (well, actually, winning and losing is why they play the games) so we shall see.

That Adam Smith said...

Er, that would be "the whole package." Not, the hole package." Damn phone. :-)

bill metsiac said...

IF OF, SPs , or RPs, isn't it great to have a SURPLUS instead of holes to fill?

Barring multiple injuries, it's hard to imagine AAAA players in the lineup, or even on the bench . When players as talented as Conforto, Flores, Nimmo , and 2 of Wheeler, Gsellman, and Lugo have to wait for a chance to fit in, that's a sign of strength I have never before seen in Queens. And even in the pen, we have more talent than we can use.

Making room is SOOO much more fun than filling holes, isn't it?

Mack Ade said...

Adam -

Reports this morning are that he's already hurting (complaining?) from practicing at first base.

Still... gotta play him if you want to move him.

Tom Brennan said...

Tebow going to Columbia - 0-3, with 2 groundouts and a line out today. he keeps making contact. Cecchini and Smith had fanned twice each today through 8 innings.

Harvey was not close to vintage Harvey again today. He left quickly after the game to head to Thoracic Park with his girlfriend.