What’s with the Mets and letting great hitters get away? The Dodgers’ domination over the Weekend must have been a little bitter for the Mets who watched Justin Turner exceed expectations after they let him go. Things with Daniel Murphy of the Nationals are usually even more depressing considering how he tends to torture the Mets. And fans will be looking closely at the Jay Bruce situation as they scrutinize the New York Mets betting odds.
Like Turner and Murphy, the Mets currently stand the risk of letting Bruce get away. The thirty-year-old will soon be a free agent and he is a little uncertain about the future. The non-waiver trade deadline came and went without any team expressing interest in the hitter, which is a little tough.
After all, looking at his home runs and OPS, Bruce is clearly one of the best players the Mets have. Bruce tried to be optimistic when he was confronted with the fact that no team seemed to really want him.
Really, the only thing he can do right now is to keep doing his best and hope that his chances on the market will open up. Bruce is still healthy. Besides the stiff neck that kept him out of the last two games, he should be a catch for any team that chooses to take him away.
Of course, that presumes that the Mets are ready to let him go. Hitting Coach Kevin Long knew the potential that Murphy had. After all, he had seen the hitter grow over the seasons, and yet he was forced to watch Murphy go away.
He might put up a fight this time around to keep Bruce on the team. Long had great things to say about Bruce, praising him for his consistency and ability to step up to the challenge. It’s a possibility that other teams are still underrating Bruce.
As far as outfielders go, the athlete is pretty exceptional. At the very least, he always positively contributes to his team whenever he steps on the field. He is always ready to deploy in whichever position his superiors want him to play.
And a case could be made for Bruce being superior to Yoenis Cespedes, what with the hitter boasting eighteen more home runs than his $110 Million colleague. Bruce took a while to find his footing on the team.
But that is expected. Every team has its rhythm and Bruce needed time to adjust to the beat of the Mets. And that was at a time when Bruce’s personal life was a bit of a mess, what with the young baby he had at home and the rigors that came with living in so many hotels.
Bruce has never suggested that those issues affected his ability to perform, though. He needed time to grow comfortable and once he found his place on the team, his performance improved.
Bruce won’t hold any grudges against the Mets if they decide to let him go. He accepts that teams are always looking to improve and that his departure might be necessary for the growth of the Mets. But it would be foolish for the Mets to lose another hitter that could come back to haunt them.
