Should Phillies retain outfielder Jay Bruce this offseason?
By John Town
The Phillies have a crowded outfield situation to handle this offseason, which could spell the end for Jay Bruce in Philadelphia.
Between Odubel Herrera‘s suspension and Andrew McCutchen‘s season-ending knee injury, the Phillies had to patch things together significantly in the outfield. One player who helped fill the gap left by McCutchen was Jay Bruce.
The Phillies traded for Bruce on June 2 to become the fourth outfielder. However, he quickly became a staple in the starting lineup as McCutchen tore his ACL the next night.
Bruce made a quick impression on the Philly Faithful, hitting two home runs and driving in six runs in his first start as a Phillie. Through his first seven games, Bruce already had five home runs and 13 runs batted in.
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After those first seven games, Bruce’s numbers deteriorated as he has a .184/.197/.404 line, two walks, 24 strikeouts, seven home runs, and 18 runs batted over 117 plate appearances in 41 games. He missed a month and a half with a right oblique strain and left flexor strain excluding a one-game return from the injured list Aug. 8. Since returning at the beginning of this month, Bruce has just two hits, albeit they were both solo home runs.
Bruce was brought in to do one thing: hit home runs, and he has done just that. If Bruce qualified, his 20.8% home run to fly ball ratio would rank 17th in the National League. Among Phillies with 50 or more plate appearances, only Bryce Harper and Brad Miller have better home run rates.
However, aside from that power, Bruce has not done much. He has been below-replacement offensively, actually contributing more on defense. Overall, he has been worth -0.2 wins above average this season as a Phillie. While his home runs provide a boost, he hasn’t offered much else to the team.
That brings me to the ultimate question of this article: should Bruce be retained this offseason? He is under contract for next year, and the Mariners will pay $12.25 million of the $14 million he is owed next year. If salary was the only thing to consider, keeping Bruce around would be a no brainer.
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However, the situation isn’t as simple as that. There are a lot of moving pieces to consider in the outfield next year. McCutchen will be healthy for the start of spring training, and Herrera could still potentially return. Adam Haseley emerged as a potential everyday player in the last few months to replace Herrera if he doesn’t return.
On top of that, Philadelphia has another outfielder acquired midseason that they would probably rather keep over Bruce: Corey Dickerson. Dickerson provided a considerable offensive boost with far better numbers than Bruce before hitting the injured list with a broken foot last week. The key will be how much other teams are willing to pay Dickerson for his services in the offseason.
Ranger Suarez showing promise in the bullpen. dark. Next
Ultimately, Bruce’s fate as a Phillie will depend on Herrera and Dickerson’s situations play out. If one or both sticks around, Bruce may get traded or released. However, if neither is in Philadelphia next season, there’s a good chance Bruce comes back as the fourth outfielder, the role he was initially intended to fill.