MIAMI — As much as he said the right things and carried himself well, the struggles and the time on the bench bugged Jay Bruce. He was streaky at the plate, but he was a proven power hitter with three All-Star Game appearances and had hit at least 20 home runs in nine major league seasons, including this year.
The Mets traded for him on Aug. 1, but by late September, the Mets were in a must-win situation, and Bruce was momentarily a spare part. Last week, he was not in the starting lineup for five of six games, passed over for other options in right field.