Since Jay Bruce has joined the Mets lineup on August 2nd, the Mets are 6-11 in the 17 games he has played. Bruce is only hitting .176 (12-75) with only two home runs and six RBIs, while whiffing 16 times. Now many baseball people said the trade wasn’t a good fit for either side and it seemed like a desperation heave by Sandy Alderson and company. I however believed it was a good trade as Bruce was the top run producer in the National League, while also being one of the the most clutch hitters with runners in scoring position something the Mets lacked. I get it Bruce wasn’t going to come over and have an impact such as Cespedes did last year because they are two totally different players. To me Jay Bruce is almost the same kind of player that Lucas Duda is offensively, high power numbers without hitting for a high average.

But we have hardly seen the numbers Bruce was producing with the Reds prior to coming over to the Mets. Granted the Mets have struggled to put a healthy lineup filled with regulars around him, but Bruce has turned into what the Mets were prior to acquiring him. A lowly .293 slugging percentage isn’t what the Mets signed up for when they gave up highly touted minor leaguer Dilson Herrera for Bruce. Bruce will receive a day off today after failing to come up big in last night’s contest, where for the first time he was surrounded by a regular lineup with the return of Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes. The frustration on Bruce’s face in the dugout last night said it all.

While his objective is to help the Mets reach the postseason over the next couple of weeks, the way things have gone recently Bruce may be soon playing for a spot on the team for 2017. Bruce has an affordable $13 million team option that the Mets will surely pick up unless they plan to cut ties altogether and buy him out for $1 million (which would be highly unlikely). But if he can’t turn it around the Mets may simply deal him if they are able to retain Cespedes which should be their top priority heading into the offseason.

Will the real Jay Bruce please stand up.