Cleveland Indians acquire Jay Bruce in wake of outfield injuries

The Cleveland Indians swung a deal to acquire Jay Bruce, which helps add depth to the outfield while two starters remain on the disabled list.

The Cleveland Indians suffered a major blow when Michael Brantley went to the ground in Tuesday night’s game.

His injury was deemed an ankle sprain, but he now joins Lonnie Chisenhall on the disabled list meaning the team’s two best outfielders are hurt.

To solve this problem, the Indians made a trade with the New York Mets to acquire Jay Bruce.

The Indians could have called up Tyler Naquin or Daniel Robertson, or even just stuck with the four current outfielders on the roster. But this trade shows the front office wants experienced talent on the team as winning the World Series remains the only goal.

Bruce is slashing .258/.324/.524 this season with 29 home runs and 75 RBI, which immediately makes him the Indians’ leader in both power categories. With Chisenhall and Brantley out, Bruce becomes the premier bat among the outfielders.

The veteran is a free agent after the season, but if the Indians can win a World Series with him that is all that matters. And when seeing what was given up, this trade looks great regardless.

Ryder Ryan was a 30th-round selection of the Indians one year ago, and needless to say he is not one of the team’s premier prospects. The Mets essentially wanted Bruce off the books for the remainder of the season and decided to do that without much else in return.

This trade is a steal for the Indians and Bruce will add some great power to this lineup. Hopefully, this trade wasn’t made with knowledge that Brantley or Chisenhall will be out for an extended period of time, but regardless it is a great move.

If Brantley or Chisenhall can’t return, Bruce becomes a key piece. And if both return, Bruce will still receive plenty of playing time.

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We will be discussing this trade more as the week goes on, so let us know what you think. Are you happy the Indians acquired Bruce?