Jay Bruce is saving his best for last for the Cincinnati Reds. That is, if the Reds do in fact decide to trade the 29-year-old right-fielder.
Bruce has hit home runs in five straight games. That feat ties the Reds’ franchise record for most consecutive games with a home run. He joins the ranks of six others, including Johnny Bench, Ted Kluszewski, Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr.
Bruce has belted six homers in those last five games. His 25-homer total for the year ties him for fourth place in the NL with teammate Adam Duvall. His 79 RBI on the year tops the NL.
Bruce is solidifying his place in the Reds’ records book for career totals. His 233 homers rank him seventh on the Reds’ all-time list, just 11 behind George Foster. His 717 RBI rank him 13th behind Edd Roush, who drove in 46 more runs than Bruce.
Bruce also ranks 15th all-time for doubles in Reds’ history. He has 238 two-baggers, just two less than Dan Driessen. His .417 slugging percentage is eighth all-time among Reds’ players who have played at least 1,000 games.
In total games played, Bruce ranks 18th with 1,218, just six games behind Ken Griffey, Sr. In his nine years with the Reds, Bruce has become a fixture for the franchise. His legacy will endure even if he moves on to play for other teams this year or some other time in the future.
Th Reds do face a conundrum with Bruce. The club option in 2017 for $13 million increases Bruce’s value to other teams. It also makes him more valuable for the Reds to keep if the team has any hope of contending next year.
But Bruce’s downside remains a factor in the Reds’ decision.
For the two previous seasons, Bruce had a slash of .217/.281/.373 in 2014 and .226/.294/.434 in 2015. He is having a career year so far this year, but those two years before represent the worst of his career.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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