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The Baltimore Orioles have talked to the Cincinnati Reds about acquiring Jay Bruce, according to Fox Sports.
This is only preliminary talks between both teams although it shows that the Reds could be on their way of parting ways with the outfielder. Cincy is going through a rebuilding process and Bruce, Aroldis Chapman, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier have been rumored to be some of the names that could be shipped to another team. It’s going to be tough to move him since he hasn’t produced at the level he’s being paid. The 28-year-old is owed $12.5 million in 2016, $13 million in 2017 although there’s a $1 million buyout for the second year.
#Orioles have had trade talks with #Reds on Jay Bruce, but there was no momentum toward a deal as of this evening, sources say. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 21, 2015
Bruce finished the 2015 season with a low .226 BA after batting .217 in the year prior. The good news was that he only missed five games this season. The two-time All-Star hit 26 HR with 87 RBI on a really bad team. Health and power doesn’t appear to be a problem for the eight-year veteran. Maybe a new home after his whole career being in Cincy is what he needs to rejuvenate his career.
Baltimore was ninth in MLB in runs in 2015. After being in the race for the postseason, the Orioles suddenly fell out of the race with a bad stretch of baseball. They finished the year at 81-81 and third place in their division. An acquisition like Bruce might be what puts the team over the hump and back into the postseason after missing out this year. If they acquire Bruce, the lefty would bat in the middle of a lineup with Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Adam Jones. It would make for quite the foursome, which would allow Baltimore’s offense to be able to hang with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. It’s only 318 ft. down the line in right field, which means that 81 of Bruce’s games would make it an easy shot for him to hit the ball over the wall. There’s also a short porch in Boston and New York, which also makes the possible trade more enticing for the Orioles.
The Orioles were 18th in MLB with a 4.05 ERA per game. They still need improvements in that category in the starting rotation and in the bullpen, but their offense could be right there with Toronto. There’s a strong possibility that David Price won’t resign with the Blue Jays, which would make their pitching staff much weaker going into next season. The Red Sox will likely be vastly improved with moves they’ve already made this off-season while the Yankees always seem to be in the race. The Tampa Bay Rays are never a bad team, so it’s going to be another tough battle to reach October for the Orioles.
