Jay Bruce Will Not Play For the Toronto Blue Jays

And now we go to a live shot of Blue Jays fans receiving the news that Jay Bruce has signed on to play for the New York Mets:

The weird thing is, Bruce is a fine player and three years and $39 million is a relatively fine price. And after a mid-career wobble possibly because of 2014 knee surgery (-0.8 WAR that year, then 0.2 WAR the following season), Bruce rebounded with a 33 HR, 111 wRC+ year in 2016 (just 0.9 WAR in 147 games though), and in 2017, thanks to a defensive uptick and a 118 wRC+ (plus a .324 OBP — his highest since 2014). He’s a flawed player, but certainly not a bad player. The Blue Jays might not make an outfield upgrade so good!

And yet… HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That’s a fuckin’ relief.

This will be the 59th post to mention Jay Bruce in the two year life of Blue Jays Nation, and holy piss, that’s way too much! Fifty nine times! For a player who has played at Rogers Centre just six time in his ten year, 1,416 game career in the big leagues. I mean… come on!

Of course, we know why he’s been a topic. The Jays almost traded for him in the spring of 2016. And not just that, the deal got so close — it was nixed by a failed physical (presumably, if not full-on reportedly, by Michael Saunders) — and widely reported on. Cue two years of hearing about the Jays being “expected to pursue” Bruce or some other such “nugget” of “information” based entirely on the fact that the connection was so easy to make.

I mean, with the deal a little back-loaded and the Mets so cheap, I guess it’s possible this isn’t the last time we’ll hear of it. Then again, with the Jays maaaaaaybe heading into a period where they’re not going to be bringing in quite so many veterans *COUGH*, or maybe about to find their own big money outfielder in the coming weeks (making it a moot point) *COUGH*, y’know… who knows? But what we do know is that, at the very fucking least for now, we can finally put this shit to bed.

Maybe even for longer!

Has there been a no-trade clause that didn’t have the Jays on it? Fingers crossed! Seems impossible a man willing to actually work for the Mets could ever have a problem with the Jays, but we can dream, can’t we?

Godspeed, Jay Bruce. Godspeed, Mets.

Best of all, godspeed fucking insufferable Jay Bruce rumours!