Cleveland Indians: Wondering if a deal for Jay Bruce is feasible

The Cleveland Indians have some cash available now that Carlos Santana won’t be returning, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that money is for Jay Bruce.

What a week it was for Cleveland Indians fans.

From Bryan Shaw to Carlos Santana, Indians fans saw some big names head elsewhere for some big money in 2018.

It was frustrating to see, but it was inevitable that the team couldn’t retain all its free agents given the raises so many players were due. That is why Jay Bruce‘s case is interesting.

Bruce remains a free agent, and has been linked to several teams including the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies, among others. The Indians should still be in touch with Bruce, but having extra money from Santana’s departure doesn’t mean they are primed to throw a lot of money at the outfielder.

It wouldn’t make much sense for the Indians to pass up on matching Santana’s three-year, $60 million deal, only to give that or more to Bruce. That is, if the Indians were even given the chance to match after lowballing Santana in the first place.

Early reports said that Bruce was looking for a deal with an annual salary of somewhere in the range $18 million, which should automatically disqualify the Indians.

A more likely strategy may be retaining Austin Jackson and potentially make another move to bring in a player midseason, such as what we saw with Bruce in 2017. It saves money and avoids the possibility of putting too much stock in one player, especially when Francisco Lindor is due for a monster payday in a few years.

As it stands right now, Michael Brantley, Bradley Zimmer and Lonnie Chisenhall make up the starting outfield. Brandon Guyer, Tyler Naquin, Abraham Almonte and Greg Allen will be fighting for reserve spots, while Melvin Upton Jr. could earn himself a spot as well. Then there is Jackson’s potential return.

Having a player like Bruce is nice, but not necessarily worth a $90 million commitment given the team’s financial status. Some fans may declare the Dolans to be cheap, but that Lindor contract is looming. Perhaps that is why the team is saving some cash right now.

There is not a lack of depth in the outfield, and the Indians should have an easy path to another AL Central title. The MLB playoffs are a crapshoot tournament once you get in, making Bruce’s return, given the price, not as essential as it may be if the team was in a competitive division and preparing for a tough regular season.

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There is a possibility that Bruce’s price goes down over the next few weeks, but the Indians can’t wait around for players like Jackson or the other first basemen on the market. Losing Santana was bad enough, but waiting on Bruce only to lose out on him and a premier first baseman would be even worse.