Phillies trade for Mariners’ Jay Bruce in an effort to end their power shortage

LOS ANGELES -- Phillies general manager Matt Klentak became one of the first to strike long before the July 31 trade deadline Sunday when he completed a deal with the Seattle Mariners for Jay Bruce. In need of a left-handed bat with some pop, the Phillies added the 32-year-old Bruce, who hit his 300th career home run Friday night.

In return for Bruce, the Mariners received 23-year-old Jake Scheiner, a fourth-round draft pick in 2017. Scheiner, who plays first base, third base and both corner outfielder positions, was batting .256 with two home runs and 20 RBIs for high-A Clearwater this season.

Bruce is in the second season of a three-year deal worth $39 million he signed with the New York Mets before last season. Klentak confirmed an Associated Press report that the Phillies will only pay Bruce $2.75 million through next season. The AP reported that he is owed $8,317,204 this year from his $13 million salary and has a $13 million salary in 2020.

“I figured this would be the situation,” Bruce told reporters in Seattle. “It’s bittersweet. I really like the group of guys here. I got to know some of them and had great relationships. It’s part of the business, though. I get to go somewhere I have a chance to win, and at this point in my career, that’s pretty paramount for me.”

In his 12th season, Bruce is hitting .212 with a .283 on-base percentage and an .816 OPS. He has 11 doubles and 14 home runs among his 35 hits. The former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds is a career .246 hitter with a .317 on-base percentage and .785 OPS. He has 301 doubles and 903 RBIs to go along with his 300 home runs.

The Phillies are attracted to Bruce’s power and also believe he will be a quality presence in their clubhouse even though his playing time is likely to be reduced from his role with the Mariners. He started 44 of Seattle’s 61 games this season, playing left field, right field, first base and designated hitter.

“I think initially he’ll probably have a chance to get some playing time,” Klentak said during a conference call. “I don’t know if it will be regular or sporadic. But I think he’ll probably work his way into the lineup with some degree of frequency early. I also think throughout the balance of this contract there’s a good chance he’ll be used as a bench player. I talked to him about that and he understands.”

After the Phillies’ 8-0 loss to the Dodgers Sunday, manager Gabe Kapler said he believes Bruce will help the Phillies in a variety of ways.

“I think Jay Bruce makes our bench stronger and I think he also makes our lineup stronger,” Kapler said. “On days when we see a right-handed pitcher, there’s a good chance Jay will play the outfield and [Andrew McCutchen] will play some center field for us. Jay will play left field during that time for us. We’ll discuss how we’ll use him going forward, but I see him as both a great option off the bench to get a big pinch-hit for us and I see him as an option to start games for us. This guy has 300 career home runs, he’s a professional, and we’ve done a lot of work on his makeup and character and he’ll fit very well in our clubhouse. The more leaders, the better.”

In all likelihood, outfielder Nick Williams will eventually be headed back to triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he will again get regular at-bats. Williams had been optioned to the IronPigs in the middle of May but was recalled Tuesday after Odubel Herrera was placed on seven-day administrative leave following his arrest in Atlantic City on a simple assault charge after an alleged incident involving his 20-year-old girlfriend.

Herrera will be eligible to return Tuesday, but Major League Baseball can also extend his leave as it investigates his situation. He has a June 17 court date in Atlantic City.

The Phillies already had concerns about lineup balance even before the left-handed-hitting Herrera’s arrest. He was hitting just .222 with one home run after hitting 22 home runs a year ago. The Phillies have had an overall lack of power this season, ranking just 23rd in baseball with 68 homers heading into Sunday’s game against the Dodgers. Conversely, their pitchers have surrendered 92 home runs, the most in the National League.

Get insights on the Phillies delivered straight to your inbox with Extra Innings, our newsletter for Phillies fans by Matt Breen, Bob Brookover and Scott Lauber. Click here to sign up.