New York Yankees: Jay Bruce officially announces retirement

It was a day that everyone had to see coming. Even though he had cracked the New York Yankees Opening Day roster, it was clear that Jay Bruce had nothing left. That had become apparent as the season began, as Bruce had notched just four hits, albeit with a homer and a double, in his 39 plate appearances. While he had drawn five walks, he also struck out 13 times, his bat looking slow even though his batting eye was still there.

On Sunday, Bruce decided to face the inevitable. He announced that he is retiring at the end of Sunday’s game against the Rays.

Jay Bruce saves New York Yankees from awkward situation

Bruce had already lost his spot in the lineup. Manager Aaron Boone had stated that the daily lineup would change in the wake of Bruce’s struggles, as DJ LeMahieu was moving to first and Rougned Odor was taking over at second. Of course, given Odor’s own struggles with the bat, it was fair to wonder whether or not this was an upgrade.

Nonetheless, benching Bruce created a roster problem. The Yankees had their backup catcher and four outfielders on their bench. Yes, bruce could play at first, but that essentially left LeMahieu as the only depth at any of the other infield spots. It seemed likely that he would be released in order to add some actual depth to the bench.

By retiring, Bruce saves the Yankees from having to let the respected veteran go. This may have been a conversation between the front office and Bruce himself, where they expressed that he was being released if he did not retire. This way, he can leave of his own accord, rather than hope that some team is desperate enough for a power bat that he can get one more look.

Bruce had a solid career before his bat betrayed him. A three time All Star and two time Silver Slugger, he posted a lifetime .244/.314/.467 batting line in his 6642 plate appearances, hitting 319 homers and 312 doubles. He twice finished in the top ten of the MVP vote, and had five seasons where he belted at least 30 homers.

The writing was on the wall for Jay Bruce. On Sunday, he announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the New York Yankees’ game.