After their outfielder Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by the commissioner’s office, Philadelphia Phillies acted fast and acquired Seattle Mariners’ Jay Bruce to fill the void. Phillies will send the third baseman Jake Scheiner to Mariners while also receiving cash consideration.
Bruce’s contract runs through 2020, with $21.3 million owed to him. Still, Philadelphia will only have to pay $2.75 million of his salary as Mariners will cover the $18.55 million according to the deal.
Phillies announced the deal on social media on Sunday.
“He’s excited to come to a contending team and understands that for the next year and a half there may be times when he’s playing regularly and there may be times when he’s playing off the bench,” – said Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in a statement. “It’s a good opportunity for him to come to a good team.”
Jay Bruce played 47 games for Seattle this MLB season, batting .212 with 14 home runs and 28 RBIs.
“I get to go somewhere I have a chance to win, and at this point in my career, that’s pretty paramount for me,” – said Bruce following his move to Philly. “Obviously I’ve spent most of my career in the National League and multiple years in the NL East. I look forward to going over there and helping the Phillies hopefully win a championship. That’s my goal. I just want to win.”
Bruce spent the most of his career with Cincinnati Reds, while also having stints with Cleveland Indians and New York Mets. He is a three-time All-Star and has won two Silver Slugger Awards. His MLB career stats include .246 batting average, 300 homers and 903 RBIs.
