The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired Jay Bruce from the Seattle Mariners, adding another needed lefty bat to the lineup.
The Philadelphia Phillies were looking for another left handed bat to add balance to their lineup. Aside from Bryce Harper and the switch hitting Cesar Hernandez, the Phillies lineup has been predominately right handed, leaving them susceptible to bullpen matchups.
On Sunday, they addressed that problem. Jay Bruce has been traded by the Seattle Mariners, along with $18 million to cover most of his salary, in exchange for minor league infielder Jake Scheiner.
Phillies will trade infielder Jake Scheiner to Seattle for Jay Bruce. They'll get about $18 million from Mariners.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 2, 2019
Bruce has had an interesting season thus far in 2019. While his .212/.283/.515 batting line is not overly impressive, he has been a solid power source this year, hitting 14 homers and 11 doubles. However, majority of that power came in the first month of the season, as Bruce has just five homers since May 1st.
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The acquisition of Bruce also leads to an interesting question involving Odubel Herrera. For now, Bruce will slot in as the regular left fielder, with Andrew McCutchen in center, as Herrera is on administrative leave due to his being arrested for domestic assault. Perhaps this acquisition indicates that the Phillies either expect a lengthy suspension, or that they are moving on from Herrera.
In exchange, the Mariners have acquired Scheiner. A fourth round selection by the Phillies in 2017, he has slowly moved through the ranks, being promoted one level each year. In his first taste of High-A, he has produced a .256/.326/.353 batting line, hitting two homers and seven doubles in 179 plate appearances.
This is not going to be the last trade the Mariners make before the deadline. Even without the tendency that Jerry Dipoto has to change his roster as often as some people change their socks, this roster was built for turnover. Edwin Encarnacion, Mike Leake, Dee Gordon, and several others could be shipped out before long.
The Philadelphia Phillies were looking to add some balance to their lineup. In acquiring Jay Bruce, they have done just that.