The MLB hot stove is virtually nonexistent in mid-September, but there are still a few rumblings around the league ahead of the postseason - and about which players may become available this winter. With that in mind, here are all the latest MLB rumors and news you need to know.
Bruce's future with Mets in question
The New York Mets acquired Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline, but it appears that he won't be sticking around town for long, according to John Harper of the New York Daily News:
To begin with, Bruce was an awkward fit, giving the Mets too many lefthanded-hitting corner outfielders. That wouldn’t have mattered as much if he’d hit as he did for the Reds, of course, but Bruce has been such a bust so far that the Mets’ brass may have to seriously consider whether it’s worth it to pick up the option year on his contract at $13 million next season.
The Mets have to question whether the New York stage is too big for Bruce, which is something they know is not a concern for Cespedes. They may have dealt for Bruce at least partly as protection for Cespedes leaving, but it’s clear now that’s no way to win a championship.
If anything, the six weeks since the trade deadline surely have convinced Alderson & Co. they have to find a way to keep Cespedes, and if declining Bruce’s $13 million option helps in that regard, it would be worth it.
Bruce is batting .181 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 38 games with the Mets.
Pearce to miss 4-6 months
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Steve Pearce will be out 4-6 months after having surgery to repair a flexor mass in his right forearm, reports Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid-Atlantic:
Steve Pearce will have surgery in N York on Wednesday to repair flexor mass tendon. Four-to-six month recovery. #Orioles
— Rich Dubroff (@RichDubroffCSN) September 19, 2016
Pearce is batting .288 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs in 85 games this season.
Castro to miss rest of season?
New York Yankees shortstop Starlin Castro could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:
The Yankees believe that Starlin Castro's first season in pinstripes could be over after he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring, sustained in a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday at Fenway Park.
Castro's strain is the least severe of three possible grades, but such an injury typically takes at least two weeks for recovery.
Considering the Yankees have just 13 games remaining after Sunday's series finale against Boston, manager Joe Girardi said that he would consider it "a bonus" if Castro appears in another regular-season game.
"It's hard to say. It really just depends on how quickly he heals," Girardi said. "Hopefully it's not too long. Hopefully it's not more than a week, but still I think that's probably pushing it. But you're hoping that he heals quick."
Castro is batting .237 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs in 146 games this season.
Back to the MLB Newsfeed