Phillies Acquire Jay Bruce From Mariners To Bolster Outfield

The Phillies made the first major trade of the season on Sunday, acquiring Jay Bruce from the Mariners in exchange for high Class A infielder Jake Scheiner and cash.

The trade comes five days after the commissioner’s office placed Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera on administrative leave after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in Atlantic City, N.J. in an incident involving his girlfriend. Bruce is expected to help fill the void left by Herrera as a lefthanded-hitting outfielder.

The Mariners acquired Bruce last offseason as part of the mega-deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets. The Phillies become his fourth team in as many years along with the Mariners, Mets and Indians.

The Mets signed Bruce to a three-year, $39 million contract before the 2018 season. According to BA correspondent Jim Salisbury, the Phillies are picking up just $2.75 million of the remaining $21 million on Bruce’s deal.

PHILLIES ACQUIRE:

Jay Bruce, 1B/OF
Age: 33

Bruce hit .212 with 14 home runs in 47 games for the Mariners this season. While he’s no longer the player who was a three-time All-Star earlier this decade, his lefthanded power is a valuable addition for the Phillies. His 14 homers this season are more than 20 percent of the Phillies’ season total of 68. 

MARINERS ACQUIRE:

Jake Scheiner, 3B
Age: 23

Scheiner intrigues with his powerful build and the corresponding thump he produced in his full-season debut in 2018 with low Class A Lakewood. He socked 13 homers with the BlueClaws, good for second on the team behind catcher Rodolfo Duran. He has shown the ability to hit balls out to all fields in batting practice, though his in-game power is mostly pull-side. Scheiner has stiff hands and actions in the field, albeit with a strong enough arm for third base. He was hitting .256 with two home runs at high Class A Clearwater.