Last season, at the MLB trading deadline, the Mets were last in almost every offensive category. But all that changed when they acquired Yoenis Cespedes. Within 6 weeks, the Mets run production, home runs and team batting average improved drastically. However, to say the “Amazins” have struggled on offense this year would be an understatement.
With runners in scoring position, the Mets have a .206 batting average. With two outs and runners in scoring position, it is even worse; they are batting .176. In an effort to mirror last year’s turnaround, New York has just acquired Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce for infielder Dilson Herrera and left-handed pitcher Max Wotell. In trading for Bruce, the Mets did something that has never been done before; it is the first time in the history of Major League Baseball that a player leading the league in RBIs has been traded at the deadline. I decided to break this deal down using the style of the 1966 Clint Eastwood Movie, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
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The Good: 29-year-old Jay Bruce is having a monster season. He is batting .265 with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs in 97 games. Bruce isn’t a “rent a player,” the Mets have the option of re-signing him next year for the bargain price of $13 million. This bodes well for them because Cespedes will opt out after this season. With “Yo-Ces” and Bruce in the lineup, the Mets now have two of the top 5 best power hitters in the National League. Bruce is hitting over .350 with runners in scoring position, and hitting behind Cespedes will allow him to see pitches and hit with runners on base. The Mets should have one of the best offenses in the league with these two scary hitters in the lineup.
The Bad: I know I sound like a broken record, but the Mets “brass” have all said letting Murphy go was the right move because they had their second baseman of the future in Herrera. He was one of their top prospects in the minor leagues and, according to the organization, he was their 2nd baseman for the next 7-10 years. The 22-year-old infielder was hitting .276 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in Triple-A. This is a huge loss for the Mets.
The Ugly: The Mets now have a “clunky” outfield. Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto will be playing center field, and neither player is suited for that position. Manager Terry Collins is going to have to figure out who to bench on a daily basis. If Conforto starts hitting, the veteran Granderson may be the odd man out because he has been horrible at the plate.
The Mets also acquired pitcher Jonathon Niese for reliever Antonio Bastardo. In Jay Bruce, the Mets acquired a player who puts fear in the opposing pitcher’s minds. No matter what happens, they have Bruce at Citi Field for at least one more season. If the Mets make the playoffs, they should have the offense to carry them back to the World Series. It came at a steep price, but to get quality you have to give up quality.
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