MLB trade rumors: One player each team should target

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 27: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates catches a ball hit by Wilson Ramos #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) during the sixth inning at PNC Park on June 27, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

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ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 10: Jay Bruce #19 of the New York Mets hits a three run home run during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on June 10, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Tampa Bay Rays: Jay Bruce

The Rays have been one of the most powerful teams in the American League this year led by Corey Dickerson, Steven Souza Jr, and the surprising Logan Morrison. Their lineup does still have holes, however. The Rays have been giving DH at-bats to Trevor Plouffe and left-field starts to Shane Peterson. Overall, there are enough weak spots in the Tampa Bay lineup to keep them close to .500.

This is the year the Rays should jump all over their chance to make the playoffs. They have been the darlings of the analytics community for years, but have not been to the playoffs since 2013 and have suffered three losing seasons in a row.

Tampa Bay is never going to blow up their farm system for a big rental name, and the front office will be smart enough not to to do that this year when a wild card is the best the team can do. That will put them out of the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes, but why not get a hitter who is a notch below like Jay Bruce?

Bruce is a notoriously streaky hitter who can carry a team for a month at a time. He was a disaster for the Mets after the deadline last year, hitting .219/.294/.391 for them in 50 games. Bruce is back in the right direction this year and could be the Mets lone representative at the All-Star Game. He is a good fit in the Rays power-laden lineup and will give them the production they need on a consistent basis at DH.

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