Team Dad went out for a pack of smokes and actually returned.

Photo: Steve Mitchell/USA Today Sports

Jay Bruce reportedly signed a 3 year, $39 million contract with the New York Mets. Bruce “jumped” at the offer, according to Mike Puma. Ken Rosenthal tweeted that it is backloaded: $10 million to start, then $14.5 million in 2019 and 2020. (Bob Nightengale reported that three of the 2019 and 2020 millions are technically in the form of a signing bonus). Bruce is allowed to designate five teams he cannot be traded to, and he can change this list before each season of the contract if he so chooses. Maybe he can say he put “both New York teams” on the list every spring training for some laughs.

It is superficially speaking a happy reunion. Considering he said in July Jay Bruce is his best friend on the team, Michael Conforto must be pleased. Unlike Scooter, Noah Syndergaard ,Josh Smoker, and Chasen Bradford are active on social media, and they tweeted out their approval of the signing.

Only Syndergaard calls him “Wacky Bruce”.

The mood online from fans is mostly, cautiously, positive: Jay Bruce gradually endeared himself by staying healthy, putting up a 2.4 fWAR in his 153 games as a Met, and coming off as an affable fellow. He only signed for three years instead of the five the 30-year-old was supposedly seeking. Friend of the pod Dan Szymborski did not hate it despite assuming he would. Bruce technically isn’t even getting a raise. Last but not least: the Mets actually did something.

It’s a good signing when you consider Conforto will likely not be ready by Opening Day after his surgery, and he definitely should not be rushed. If Conforto is ahead of schedule, Bruce can play first while Dominic Smith gets more seasoning in Triple A. Or if Smith earned to stay, Conforto plays center with Bruce in right. There is a potential logjam of outfielders with Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo too, but a lack of depth was the issue last season. Depth is generally seen as a “happy problem”, and it would be nice if the Mets had one of those kinds of problems for once. The best bet is to wait until March 29 and see who is still healthy before we scratch our heads and play musical chairs.

There are those who believe the myth that Bruce “blocked” Conforto in 2016 and again in 2017, when the man truly responsible moved from the dugout to the front office a few months ago. Those folks are not happy, nor are the ones who, in some but not entire fairness, could not help but notice the Mets are technically sort of beginning to bring back the same personnel who only won 70 games last year (50–60 when Bruce was dealt for Ryder Ryan, who we get to keep!) A completely fair complaint is this should definitely not be the only “big” free agency signing by the team: more pressing needs are second/third base, first base, a veteran but still fast center fielder not composed of glass, and getting Addison Reed back for his own homecoming. The Mets, and I cannot stress this enough, actually did something, so please, permit me to close with a legitimate “we’ll see if they cheap out before we judge” sign off.

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