The New York Mets have a deal in place to get another outfielder.
The Mets and Reds have a recreated deal in place for outfielder Jay Bruce, a source confirmed to Cover Those Bases. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported that the deal was done. In exchange for the slugger, the Reds will receive infielder Dilson Herrera and left-handed pitcher Max Wotell. Medicals held up a different Jay Bruce deal that was supposed to be done earlier. That deal included outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who now stays with the Mets. The addition of Bruce makes total sense for New York, who has needed some offensive help. The team ranks 22nd in the Major Leagues in OPS, and their outfield corps especially could use some upgrading. At this moment in time, the Mets' outfield includes the likes of Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson. Conforto, in particular, has struggled against left-handed pitching and could use more seasoning in the minor leagues anyway. This is where Bruce fits in. The 29-year-old Bruce is hitting .265/.316/.559 with 25 home runs and 60 RBI this season over 402 plate appearances. He has a 125 wRC+, which is the best of his career. However, Bruce has been an atrocious defender, making him only worth 0.7 Wins Above Replacement. Defensive metrics, however, are not always 100 percent accurate. Bruce will not be a free agent at the end of the season, as his deal includes a team option for 2017. With Yoenis Cespedes able to opt-out of his deal with the team, Bruce could be a good fit for next year's Mets outfield as well. --Devan Fink
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The New York Mets have signed shortstop Jose Reyes to a minor league deal on Saturday, they announced.
The team assigned Reyes to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the team's Short Season Class A affiliate. There, he will not only play shortstop but also fill in at third base and in the outfield. The Rockies placed Reyes on release waivers on Thursday, making him eligible to become a free agent today. Reyes was suspended the first 52 games this season due to a domestic violence incident that occurred last offseason while he was in Hawaii. When eligible to return, the Rockies designated him for assignment. Now, he heads to the Mets, who are struggling offensively due to injuries to major cogs in the batting order. Third baseman David Wright is in danger of missing the rest of the season due to a herniated disk in his neck. First baseman Lucas Duda is out four-to-six weeks due to a stress fracture in his lower back. They acquired James Loney to fill the hole at first, and he has played well there so far. But at third, they've been forced to turn mostly Wilmer Flores, who has an 83 OPS+. Since Wright went on the disabled list on May 28 (retroactively), the Mets are 11-14 and have scored just 3.2 runs per game. Their team OPS of .706 in June is fifth-worst in the Majors and fourth-worst in the National League. The 33-year-old Reyes has certainly lost a step offensively but may still be a viable option at numerous positions once he appears in the Major Leagues, whenever that may be. In 519 plate appearances with the Blue Jays and Rockies last season, Reyes hit for a .274/.310/.378 clip with seven home runs, 53 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 116 games. He walked 26 times and had 62 strikeouts. According to FanGraphs, Reyes was worth 0.5 Wins Above Replacement. Reyes spent most of his big league career with the Mets, playing there from 2003 to 2011. He hit for a .782 OPS with the team and averaged 57 stolen bases per 162 games. Reyes was also named to four All-Star teams with New York's National League squad. --Devan Fink
The Colorado Rockies have placed shortstop Jose Reyes on release waivers Thursday.
Reyes will be on release waivers for 48 hours, and unless he is claimed by a team, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday. The chances that Reyes will be claimed on waivers are practically zero, as if a team decided to claim him, then they would be forced to pay the rest of his current contract. Reyes is still owed an approximate $38 million on his contract. He is owed over $11 million through the rest of the season, followed by a $22 million salary in 2017 and a $4 million buyout for a 2018 team option. The Rockies designated Reyes for assignment on June 15, the day he returned from a 52 game suspension for a domestic violence offense that occurred last offseason. The 33-year-old Reyes has already been on a decline performance-wise during the past few years. In 2015, Reyes hit for just a .274/.310/.378 clip with seven home runs, 53 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 519 plate appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Rockies. He was worth 0.5 fWAR. When he was younger, Reyes was a perennial All-Star with the New York Mets, with his best season coming in 2011. Reyes led the league in batting average with a .337/.384/.493 line in 586 plate appearances, adding 39 stolen bases. The Mets may be interested in a reunion with Reyes, as their offense has faltered over the past few weeks. The team has the seventh-worst on-base percentage in the Majors, as well an OPS that ranks in the bottom third. They must weigh a PR decision, however, as Reyes does come with the domestic violence incident attached to his name. When Reyes signs with another team, whomever that may be, it will likely be for the league minimum (if it is a Major League deal). He will still be paid his large salary by the Rockies. --Devan Fink
The New York Mets have expressed interest in Oakland Athletics' third baseman Danny Valencia, The New York Post's Ken Davidoff reported on Saturday.
Davidoff reports that the Mets reached out to the Athletics prior to their acquisition of Kelly Johnson from the Braves. Despite that, however, Davidoff says that the Mets could still consider pursuing Valencia in the future. Though, with Johnson, the team did get a replacement for David Wright (who may miss the rest of the season). However, Valencia could also fill a utility role, having spent time in the outfield and at second and first base (though in limited opportunities) in the past. The 31-year-old Valencia is having a career year in Oakland in 2016 and will not hit free agency until after next season. He's cheap too; Valencia is only under contract for $3.15 million this season. Valencia is hitting .331/.375/.551 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 192 plate appearances this season. He has been worth 1.1 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement in just 47 games, which is the third-highest total for his career. --Devan Fink
The New York Mets have acquired first baseman James Loney from the San Diego Padres, according to a team announcement on Saturday.
The Padres received cash considerations in the deal. The 32-year-old Loney has been in Triple-A this season after signing a minor league deal with San Diego during the offseason. Loney had an opt-out clause in his contract, and had he not been traded, he would have likely landed with the Mets anyway. Ever since starting first baseman Lucas Duda went on the disabled list on May 21 with a lower back stress fracture, the Mets have been on the lookout for a viable replacement. In his absence, the team turned to Eric Campbell at first base, who is hitting .182/.303/.255 on the year in 66 plate appearances. Loney has been hitting well with Triple-A El Paso, posting a .342/.373/.424 triple-slash line with two home runs and 28 RBIs over 169 plate appearances. Loney was last in the Major Leagues in 2015 with the Rays, but was released the end of the season after hitting just .280/.322/.357 with four homers and 32 RBIs in 388 plate appearances. He was worth -1.3 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR). With the Mets, Loney will likely start at first until Duda returns to action. --Devan Fink |
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