Report: Mets would prefer to trade Granderson over Bruce
At the end of June, the New York Mets were reportedly "open for business" with their season beginning to sink and it appears little has changed, although they do have a preference about who they want to trade.
The Mets appear to be more interested in trading Curtis Granderson from an expensive outfield corps which also includes Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, and fellow trade candidate Jay Bruce, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
New York would prefer to keep Bruce around and make him a qualifying offer at the end of the season, according to a Rosenthal's source.
Until the Mets can pull off a trade, they have apparently told the outfielders they will be used in a rotation; playing three days and sitting one, according to a separate source.
The problem for the Mets, according to Rosenthal's sources, is that the club has yet to receive significant trade interest in either Granderson or Bruce.
Granderson is hitting just .228/.329/.463 in 87 games while earning $15 million this season. He did have a nice month at the plate in June, however, swatting eight home runs and posting a 1.153 OPS.
Bruce, on the other hand, has been one of the Mets' most productive hitters this season, swatting 24 long balls while driving in 62 runs alongside an .867 OPS.
He, like Granderson, is set to become a free agent at season's end and is due to earn the remainder of a $13-million salary.