CLEVELAND _ The Indians reached a deal to acquire New York Mets outfielder Jay Bruce on Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
Bruce, 30, has been having a productive 2017 season, hitting .258 with 29 home runs, 20 doubles and 75 RBIs. According to FanGraphs, he's been worth 2.1 WAR, his best season since 2013.
Bruce was a possible target for the Indians prior to the trade deadline, but the club chose not to pull the trigger in part because of in-house options that were available. Lonnie Chisenhall, although on the disabled list, has been having the best offensive season of his career and Brandon Guyer has been rounding into form.
Injuries might have led the Indians further down the path to acquiring Bruce. Chisenhall is still rehabbing a calf injury that has been slow to heal. Michael Brantley, meanwhile, was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday with a sprained right ankle. That eliminates two left-handed bats from the lineup, with one of those spots now reportedly being filled by Bruce.
Teams can still complete trades after the non-waiver July 31 deadline, but players on 40-man rosters must first go through a waiver process, which adds a hurdle.
Bruce is currently in the final year of a six-year, $51 million extension that included a $13 million club option, making him a possible rental. According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, the Indians are taking on all of Bruce's remaining salary for this season.
According to reports by ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, the Indians were bidding against the New York Yankees. However, the Yankees wanted the Mets to throw in some cash in the deal, which the Indians didn't require.
The Indians are sending right-handed pitching prospect Ryder Ryan to acquire Bruce, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. Ryan is a former 30th-round draft pick and a lower-level prospect. Perhaps in part because of their willingness to take on all of Bruce's salary, the player return in the deal is likely lower than it otherwise might have been.
