MLB Trade Rumors: Cleveland Indians To Acquire Jay Bruce From Cincinnati Reds?

The Cleveland Indians are one of the hottest teams in baseball and it is looking more and more like they could be a postseason threat in the American League. It has been a long time since the Indians were viewed as a threat, but they have built the right way and seem to be getting to that point.

Now, the Indians need to improve their roster for the stretch run. There are a few different options that they have, although a big bat would be at the top of the wish list. Looking at the potential bats available at the traded deadline, Jay Bruce certainly seems to be an intriguing option for the Indians.

According to a report from Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, Bruce would likely be willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to be acquired by the Indians. The Cincinnati Reds looked to trade him at the deadline last year, but no deal came around that they ended up being interested in.

Bruce would be a huge pickup for the Indians and would help their offense become even more dangerous.

According to ESPN stats, throughout the course of the 2016 season with the Reds, Bruce has recorded a.278 batting average to go along with 17 home runs and 59 RBI’s heading into Thursday night’s games. He has been consistent over the past few seasons, which is exactly what the Indians need in order to become more of a legitimate contender.

At 29-years-old, Bruce still has a lot of baseball left to be played in his career. He still has an option on his deal for next season, which could make the Indians even more interested.

It will be interesting to see what the MLB trade deadline has in store this season. There are a lot of teams who will be looking to sell their talent and teams like the Indians will be happy to buy it. Bruce is just one of the offensive options that the Indians will have if they want another bat, although may be one of the best as well.

Cleveland is without question a team to keep an eye on over the next few weeks as the deadline draws closer.

Cincinnati will likely look to trade Bruce whether the Indians end up being the team that acquires him or not. He has a lot of value on the trade market and this is the year that they should pull the trigger on a deal.

Needless to say, the report that Bruce would waive his trade clause adds even more intrigue to the rumors that the Indians could acquire him. If he truly is willing to waive it, there is a good chance that the two teams could come to an agreement on a return for the star outfielder.

There is no question that the Indians will be aggressive at the trade deadline. They want to give their fans a chance at a deep run in the postseason. After seeing the Cleveland Cavaliers deliver a championship to to the city, the Indians would love to be able to make it two titles in one season.

Expect to hear a lot more rumors surrounding Bruce as the trade deadline heats up. Cleveland is going to continue looking around at potential trade targets and Bruce is certainly one of them. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if the two teams agreed on a trade at some point before the deadline.

Do you think Jay Bruce would be a good pickup for the Cleveland Indians? Do they have any chance at making a run in the postseason to the World Series? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[AP Photo/John Minchillo]