Philadelphia Phillies: Will Jay Bruce be around in 2021?

Will outfielder Jay Bruce be on the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021?

The singular good move that Matt Klentak made during his time as general manager, veteran outfielder Jay Bruce had an eventful 83 games with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He kicked off his Philly career with an absolute bang, joining the team back in 2019 in scorching hot form. He finished the season with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs as a Phillie, engraining himself as a favorite amongst the fans. His natural lefty power was a welcome sight at the time, even though it ended up not being enough to vault the Phils into the postseason.

Bruce’s 2020 camping was far less eventful, as he consistently battled a variety of different minor injuries. He only appeared in 32 games this past summer, hitting .198 while recording six home runs and 14 RBIs. His power was still very much there, but his sub-.200 batting average was the lowest of his 13 year career.

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For what he was, Bruce was an extremely helpful addition. In 2019 he routinely filled in as a rotational outfielder or pinch hitter, and in 2020 he was Joe Girardi’s go-to designated hitter. While his veteran presence didn’t result in any October baseball, he was one of the few players on the roster who consistently provided steady production when called upon.

With that said, it’s seems unlikely that the Philadelphia Phillies would prioritize bringing him back this winter.

Not only is he set to turn 34 in the spring, but the Phils have a fairly crowded outfield at the moment. While it may not be the most “household” bunch of names, younger guys like Adam Haseley and Mickey Moniak are itching for at-bats, and Bruce would only get in the way of their development. Bryce Harper obviously isn’t going anywhere anytime soon either, and Scott Kingery could even see some more reps at center field, meaning the team really has a bit of a logjam at the outfield position.

While Bruce might still be the best short-term option at the position due to his above average power, turning the reps over to the younger guys better suits the Phillies longterm aspirations. The team appears further away from contention than they were two years ago, so prioritizing player development is in all honesty the best thing the Phillies could do heading into 2021.

Like previously mentioned, Bruce was ultimately a very good midseason addition. He came to Philly and produced at a very high level, and he did it on a seriously low cost (the Mets were paying most of his salary). It was the type of trade that contending teams usually make heading into the deadline, the only problem of course being that the Phils had a plethora of other holes that needed filling outside of outfield depth over the last two seasons.

Considering Bruce’s age, the team’s overall outfield depth, and ownership’s reported unwillingness to spend money this offseason, the potential for Bruce to return to the Philadelphia Phillies seems all but impossible. Hopefully he lands on a team that’s ready to make a postseason run, as he genuinely does deserve some October baseball here in the latter stages of his career.