The Mets have finally finished providing grist for the Jay Bruce rumor mill, sending the outfielder and his contract to Cleveland for minor-league reliever Ryder Ryan.
The trade comes just hours after Cleveland put Michael Brantley on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained ankle. There he joins fellow outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who’s been out with a strained calf for more than a month. Bruce, in other words, brings some appreciated depth. Also appreciated will be the fact that, as noted by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the entire Cleveland outfield has hit 37 home runs this season. Bruce has hit 29.
The Yankees were reportedly in the chase for Bruce and offered multiple prospects, rather than one Single-A guy with a name better suited for a low-level porn star. But because the Yankees supposedly weren’t prepared to take on the remainder of Bruce’s contract in full—$4.2 million—the Mets decided to pass.