The Toronto Blue Jays were second in the American League in home runs in 2014, socking 177 bombs, and ranked fourth in the AL in runs per game (4.46). That isn't stopping them from trying to add more pop though-Fox Sports 1 reporter Jon Morosi said on Twitter that Toronto could be angling to trade for Cincinnati Reds slugger Jay Bruce.
Blue Jays are, however, working to add a left-handed bat to their lineup. One name they are talking about: Jay Bruce.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 25, 2014
The Blue Jays had the most powerful heart of the order in the big leagues in 2014, with outfielder Jose Bautista blasting 35 home runs and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion coming in right behind him with 34.
Bruce would be a somewhat puzzling addition. The Jays clearly weren't hurting for runs in 2014, and their pitching staff was largely what held them back from having a better season. Bruce is known for his power, but experienced an outage in 2014.
Last season Bruce struggled through the worst year of his career, hitting a pitiful .217 in 137 games while registering just 18 home runs. He had hit no fewer than 30 home runs in the three season preceding last year, and managed to keep his average over .250.
A bad BABIP can explain some of his woes; Bruce was very unlucky on balls in play, posting a .269 BABIP when his career mark is .293. The Blue Jays may also be banking on the numbers being an aberration, and Bruce experiencing a ton of positive regression to the mean. After such an abysmal campaign Cincinnati's asking price may be way down, allowing the Jays to roster three potential 30-plus home run bats.
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