Reports: Phillies close to acquiring veteran Bruce
The Philadelphia Phillies are close to acquiring veteran outfielder Jay Bruce from the Seattle Mariners, multiple outlets reported Saturday.
The deal is expected to be finalized this weekend, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Athletic said Philadelphia would take on most of the remaining value of the three-year, $39 million contract Bruce signed with the New York Mets in January 2018.
Playing in his 12th season in the majors and first in Seattle, the 32-year-old Bruce is batting .212 with 14 homers and 28 RBIs in 47 games.
The three-time All-Star (2011-12, 2016) played his first eight-plus seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and has also played for the Mets (2016-17, 2018) and Cleveland Indians (2017).
Entering Saturday, Bruce had a lifetime .246 average with 300 homers, 301 doubles, 903 RBIs and 1,400 hits in 1,557 games. He belted his 300th home run during the Mariners' 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
The Mets traded Bruce to the Mariners in December in the deal that brought second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz to New York.
The Phillies' need for another left-handed bat in the outfield arose after Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Tuesday. Herrera was arrested on an assault charge Monday in a domestic incident in Atlantic City, N.J.
--Field Level Media
