Mets Acquire NL RBI Leader Jay Bruce from Reds Pending Prospect’s Physical

The New York Mets acquired right fielder Jay Bruce in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the trade deadline on Monday.

The Reds received three prospects, including outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the team’s fifth-ranked up-and-comer, in exchange for Bruce. But a physical concerning Nimmo delays the deal’s completion. Nimmo’s foot raises concerns for Cincinnati.

Jay Bruce bats .360 with runners in scoring position. The New York Mets rate as the worst in MLB in the metric. The Mets rank 28th in RBI in MLB. Bruce leads the National League with 80. Bruce coming to Queens makes sense.

The trade evokes last year’s trade-deadline deal to bring Yoenis Cespedes to New York, whose power infusion into an anemic offense helped propel the Mets to the World Series. With Cespedes nursing a quad injury that may send him to the disabled list, Bruce’s arrival, assuming Nimmo’s physical does not block the blockbuster acquisition, comes at a necessary time for New York, who, at 54-50 and 6.5 games behind the Washington Nationals, hope to rally for a playoff berth down the homestretch of the season.