Jay Bruce is off to good a start to the 2016 season for the Cincinnati Reds. The 29-year-old slugger is batting .333 with a .967 OPS through the Reds’ first nine games.
The solid start for Bruce puts him in a position to improve his trade value. Bruce will appeal to teams looking for a left-handed slugging right fielder if he can continue to show he’s better than the .217 and .226 batting averages he’s had the past two years.
Bruce showed he’s still a complete player last night in the Reds’ 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
One example of Bruce’s all-around worth came in the field. Despite his team trailing 8-0 in the bottom of the eight inning, Bruce went all out in making a well-played sliding catch of a shallow fly ball. It was similar to the kind of catch he made when he broke the wrist of his glove hand in 2009.
Bruce made an uncharacteristic mental error after the catch by throwing the ball to first base with no teammate there to catch it. He was attempting to make another double play in the game after a catch like he did in the first inning when he doubled up Dexter Fowler at second base.
Mental error aside, the play showed the plus-fielder that Bruce remains. His strong arm has made him one of the game’s leaders in outfielder assists during his nine years with the Reds.
At the plate, Bruce led off the top of the ninth of the Reds’ loss with a single through the right side of the infield to raise his average to .333. It was his second hit of the night. His first was a liner to left field off a high and outside pitch that showed the success he is having in making adjustments at the plate by hitting the ball better to the opposite field.
If Bruce can continue his success, the Reds will likely find more than one team willing to offer a decent prospect or two in return for Bruce, who is making $12.5 million this year and has a club option for a $1-million buyout or $13-million salary for next year.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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