Yankees sign former Met Jay Bruce to minor-league contract
Phillies leftfielder Jay Bruce looks for his pitch against the Mets during the first inning of an MLB game at Citi Field on July 7, 2019. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Yankees, at long last, have landed Jay Bruce.
The 13-year veteran outfielder, whom the Yankees tried hard to obtain from the Mets and thought they had acquired before the 2017 trade deadline, agreed to a minor-league deal Saturday, a source confirmed.
The Yankees would like to add a lefthanded-hitting option to their righthanded-heavy lineup, and Bruce — a three-time All-Star who will turn 34 on April 3 — will get a chance to win a roster spot in spring training.
At the moment, the Yankees’ outfield includes the righthanded-hitting Aaron Judge in rightfield and the switch-hitting Aaron Hicks in centerfield. Righthanded-hitting Clint Frazier will be given every opportunity to win the starting job in leftfield, but he will be pushed by Mike Tauchman, super-utilityman Tyler Wade and Bruce, all of whom are lefthanded hitters.
Longtime Yankee Brett Gardner, a free agent and also a lefthanded hitter, has been talking to the only team for which he's played. The 37-year-old’s return to the Bronx, though a bit more of a long shot now, can’t be ruled out.
Bruce, traded to the Mets from the Reds before the 2016 trade deadline before getting shipped to Cleveland by the Mets before the following year’s deadline, earned all three of his All-Star bids with Cincinnati, which chose him in the first round (12th overall) of the 2005 draft.
Bruce hit .198 with six homers, 14 RBIs and a .721 OPS in 32 games with the Phillies during the 2020 season. He has hit .245 with 318 home runs and a .783 OPS in his career. He hit 46 home runs in 247 games for the Mets from 2016-18.
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