The free-agent outfielder is set to return to the Big Apple after agreeing to a $39 million, three-year contract, WFAN baseball insider and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported late Wednesday night.
Bruce, who turns 31 on April 3, fills a hole in the outfield and brings back some much-needed power to a Mets team trying to rebound from an injury-ravaged 70-92 season.
With slugger Yoenis Cespedes coming off a hamstring injury in left, the Mets plan to have their top three outfielders from last year back intact.
It was expected Bruce would be traded to clear a logjam in the outfield, but he remained with the Mets and flourished (.841 OPS) for the first four months of 2017 while emerging as a respected leader in the locker room during a miserable season for the team.
By the summer, general manager Sandy Alderson had traded away several pending free agents — Bruce among them — in an effort to shed payroll and acquire young arms.
- Mets need more than Jay Bruce to get back into contentionYahoo Sports
- Kurtenbach: The Giants should be happy Jay Bruce turned them downThe Mercury News
- Jay Bruce returning to Mets on three-year deal, source saysNewsday
- MLB Hot Stove signings: Mets reportedly bringing back Bruce on 3-year, $39M dealCBSSports.com
- Source: Jay Bruce agrees to deal with New York MetsYahoo Sports
- New York Mets: Assessing the Jay Bruce Reunion in QueensEmpire Writes Back
- Jay Bruce deal: Patience pays off again for Alderson and MetsNew York Post
- Around sports: OF Jay Bruce to rejoin Mets via $39 million dealHouston Chronicle
- People familiar with deal: Mets, Bruce agree at $39M, 3 yrsWTOP
