jay bruce

Yankees News: One lowkey outfielder pushing for spot on active roster

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New York Yankees, Jay Bruce

The New York Yankees have a position battle developing in the outfield, and despite bringing back veteran Brett Gardner for the 2021 season and a club option for 2022, he will have to earn his spot on the roster. Considering the number of injuries the team has dealt with in the OF, coming from Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks, having quality depth is a necessity.

The Yankees brought in Derek Dietrich, Jay Bruce, and Socrates Brito. So far, Dietrich and Bruce are battling it out for an active roster spot, with both of them being neck and neck up to this point.

In the Yankees’ recent loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bruce launched a home run in the first inning, showing off his power. Bruce picked up a left quad injury last season in September, which dampened his production and efficiency, but he’s finally back to full strength.

“I know that I’m good enough to be on the roster,” Bruce said at LECOM Park, where the Yankees fell to the Pirates, 3-2 in seven innings. “There’s no question, personally, about that, in my opinion. It goes back to health. Also, a lot of times, it depends on how they want to shape the roster. It depends on what they need from a defensive standpoint and just a player standpoint. So I’m not really concerning myself with a lot of that. If I’m healthy, I’m a good option.”

Last season, Bruce appeared and 32 games, logging a .198 average with six homers and 14 RBIs. The year prior, he had 26 HRs, which is exactly why the Yankees feel he could be a solid addition as a depth piece. At 33 years old, he’s not the most proficient defender, but he can do the bare minimum at an average level.

“A couple more good at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He continues to look really good here early in camp. I think it’s a product of him being healthy and feeling good, being the hitter he’s been most of his career.”

The Yankees love their sluggers, and Bruce fits that mold perfectly. Just in case Judge or Stanton is forced to miss any time, he can fill their roles easily and provide run support in that category.

Dietrich is also capable of hitting double-digit HRs, but simply not as many as Bruce — he does have a bit more patience at the plate and offers better defense.

New York Yankees: Six non-roster invites who can make an impact in 2021

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New York Yankees, Adam Warren

On Wednesday, the New York Yankees announced that they signed 20 players to minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training. Six of the 20 have significant MLB experience and could make an impact for the Yankees in 2021.

Kyle Barraclough

Barraclough, a 30-year-old RHP, has the potential to become a middle-reliever with the Yankees. In five MLB seasons, he has an ERA of 3.00 or less in three of them. Over his career, Barraclough has a 3.53 ERA with a 1.359 WHIP in just over 250 innings of action.

Jay Bruce

Bruce, in his prime, was known as one of the most prolific power-hitters in all of baseball. He had his fair share of struggles last season, but at 33-years-old, Bruce could still have a few good years left in the tank. Bruce struggles in the field, but has totaled over 300 home runs in his 13-year career with three all-star nominations.

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin, 33, has been a starter for seven teams over 13 seasons. He most recently pitched for the Braves in 2020, where he made two appearances. Chacin has a 4.04 ERA in 257 games with a 1.332 WHIP and a 4.22 FIP. In addition to starting, Chacin can be used in long-relief or low-leverage bullpen situations.

Robinson Chirinos

Chirinos could potentially become the Yankees’ back-up catcher if he were to beat out Kyle Higashioka this spring. He has just a .231 career average but is more of a defensive catcher. Chirinos spent the 2019 season in Houston, where he worked well with Gerrit Cole. He’s thrown out 24% of runners attempting to steal over his career and has a 5.8 dWAR.

Derek Dietrich

Dietrich has the potential to become one of the Yankees’ utilitymen in 2021. A left-handed power-bat who can play both infield and outfield, Dietrich has a career .245 average with a 107 OPS+. His OBP has been greater than .325 in each of his last seven seasons and he’s known to frequently get hit by pitches. Dietrich’s only draw-backs are his defensiveive struggles and his lack of speed.

Adam Warren

Warren will be joining the Yankees for the fourth team, re-signing with the team who drafted him. His career ERA sits at 3.53, but has pitched significantly better in New York with a 3.18 ERA in pinstripes. Warren’s career ERA+ sits at 117 with a 1.231 career WHIP in nearly 500 innings. The 33-year-old righty has the potential to find himself in middle-innings once again for the Yankees.

New York Yankees: The “Big Maple” to Seattle, Yankees hire a lefty and more

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The New York Yankees ex-pitcher James Paxton the “Big Maple” is no longer a free agent after not being resigned by the Yankees. Paxton will be returning to his old team the Seattle Mariners. After an injury-plagued season last year with the Yankees, Paxton will be taking a big pay cut moving to the west coast. Last season he earned almost $13 million with the Yankees. In the upcoming season, Paxton will get a paycheck of only $8.5 million which is certainly not chump change for the 32-year-old.

Paxton went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts for the Yankees in 2019 and had a 3.46 ERA in three postseason starts. Last season just before spring training Paxton had to have back surgery, which caused him to start late, then he suffered a flexor stain allowing him to pitch in just five games for the Yankees during 2020. Now that Paxton is back in Seattle where he will enjoy a bit of notoriety, Aaron Judge has his Judge’s chambers, and Pax will have his “Maple Grove.” Paxton also has some incentives attached to his contract that could bring his pay up to $10 million.

This deal works for both parties as the Mariners, after success, last year will again go with a six-man pitching rotation. Extra-depth never hurts. For Paxton, it will give him a season to regain his reputation before becoming a free agent again. The signing of the one year deal means that all the pitchers the Yankees let walk are now with other teams. Mashiro Tanaka went back to Japan to play with the Eagles and J.A. Happ is now with the Minnesota Twins.

Yankees sign lefty outfielder

The Yankees reportedly have given a minor league contract to former Philadelphia Philly Jay Bruce. Bruce is a 33-year-old veteran outfielder that can play anywhere in the outfield. Bruce will earn $1.35 million with the Yankees if he makes the 2021 team. The deal also includes bonuses based on the number of plate appearances.

For the New York Yankees, this is a depth move that will also provide a lefty bat to the lineup if he is used. The Bruce signing does not rule out a reunion with Brett Gardner, but it does make it less likely. Bruce, 33, batted .198/.252/.469 with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 32 games for the Phillies last season. A three-time National League All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the left-handed-hitting outfielder owns a career .245/.314/.469 slash line (108 OPS+) with 318 home runs and 948 RBIs over 1,640 games with the Reds, Mets, Indians, Mariners, and Phillies. The Yankees have not confirmed the deal.

Could the Yankees be reuniting with Justin Wilson?

Reports surfaced yesterday that the team had considered reuniting with Justin Wilson. The left-hander had a successful year in pinstripes back in 2015, and he’s coming off a solid two-season stretch with the Mets during which he managed a 143 ERA+. Apparently, the Yankees are still in on a reunion with the lefty, who spent 2015 setting up Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller at Yankee Stadium.

He’d be a catch (especially as the fifth-most-important in the pecking order), but his projected cost has long been about $5 million annually on a multi-year deal. Would the Yankees really go that high with a de facto salary cap in place? A move to bring Wilson back who is one of the best lefties on the market would eat up most if not all of the Yankees’ wiggle room to stay under the $210 luxury tax threshold. It would also prevent the New York Yankees from bringing back centerfielder Brett Gardner if they stick to the plan to stay below that tax line.

 

 

 

Yankees sign veteran outfielder, possible Brett Gardner replacement?

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New York Yankees, Jay Bruce

The New York Yankees haven’t been in contact with outfielder Brett Gardner for quite some time, and it seems like they might move on from the esteemed veteran. After spending 13 years in pinstripes, Gardner stated last season that he would like to return to the team for one final year to play in front of his family and fans.

However, general manager Brian Cashman is penny-pinching, trying to stay under the $210 million luxury tax threshold. His approach this season has been extremely cautious and cost-efficient, signing starting pitchers to bargain deals coming off significant injuries.

Cashman’s approach took another turn on Saturday morning, as they signed veteran left fielder Jay Bruce to a minor league contract, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Some might say this is the end of Gardy’s tenure with the Yankees, and they might be right. Bruce, a 33-year-old outfielder spent 11 games in 2020 in the outfield, and 10 as the designated hitter. He’s capable of moving around in the outfield, finishing the season with a .198 average and six homers over 32 games. He’s not an offensive master-class, but he does have far more power than Gardner, which is exactly what the Yankees seem in their analytical approach.

How will the New York Yankees utilize Bruce?

Bruce is more of a role filler, as Clint Frazier cemented himself as the starting left-fielder following a breakout season. As a Gold Glove finalist, his defensive problems have taken a backseat, and his offense has settled in the .267 average range. He is a solid contact hitter with lightning-quick bat speed but could use a bit more efficiency in his strikeout percentage. He’s striking out nearly 30% of the time, so getting that number down is essential if he wants to retain his spot as a starter.

Nonetheless, Bruce will play a reserve role, having featured with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies over the course of his career. He did hit double-digit home runs in 2019 with 26, indicating a proficiency in that area. Hopefully, he can get back to hitting long balls routinely with the Yankees, as Cashman likely views him as a rotational option to keep the fatigue down over the course of 162 game season.