There have been rumors surrounding the Cincinnati Reds and whether or not they're going to trade outfielder Jay Bruce. There is also a lot of speculation regarding Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who is garnering serious interest from a number of teams.
Although it's been reported the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays have contacted the Reds about Bruce's availability, general manager Walt Jocketty has only engaged in preliminary discussions. Looking at the whole situation from a front office perspective, are the Reds seriously considering trading Bruce when his value is the lowest it has ever been in his career?
Bruce slashed just .217/.281/.373 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs in 137 games after missing time in the beginning of the season due to knee surgery. It was the first time he hit fewer than 21 home runs since his rookie season in 2008 and his 66 RBIs was his lowest output since 2009. Although the team is looking to shed payroll, Bruce is only owed $24.5 million over the next two seasons and has a $13 million team option for 2017. Such a salary is a fair bargain for his power-hitting numbers and his 2014 campaign is not going to help his trade value. The Reds likely won't get what they desire in return for him.
"They already have a lineup hole in left field, and so adding another in right seems unlikely, particularly for an organization that generally moves deliberately," ESPN's Buster Olney writes of the Reds. "It's going to be more simple for Cincinnati to get payroll relief by finding landing spots for one or two of their starting pitchers who are eligible for free agency after this season."
If they really want to trade Bruce, it would be a more prudent decision if they let him start 2015 with the team because if he rebounds then his value will increase dramatically. Cincinnati should give themselves a chance, and if they underperform then the fire sale can begin.
Speaking of outfielders, Yasmany Tomas is still one of the hottest commodities out there. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted on Tuesday that the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants are now among "teams pushing hardest" for Tomas, as they join the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. The fact that the D-Backs, Giants and Padres are all in the same division makes this particularly interesting. Tomas is already expected to be an expensive free agent, so it's unlikely they're all competing to drive up the cost for him.
It's no secret all of these teams are in need of an outfielder, especially a power-hitting one. The Padres and Diamondbacks have money to spend and are looking to use it wisely on young talent; the Giants are now looking to make a splash after losing Pablo Sandoval to the Red Sox and; the Braves are selling their underperforming and overpaid outfielders (they traded Jason Heyward and are looking to trade B.J. Upton) and are exploring options to move Justin Upton and his $14.5 million salary as well.
Tomas is attending the winter meetings so it's unlikely he signs a deal before then. Every team will be present for the meetings and will have a chance to persuade the Cuban defector.
