Mets bring back Bruce, Reyes, decline Niese's option

The Mets were expected to retain Bruce

Yesterday, the New York Mets announced that they will pick up the team options for outfielder Jay Bruce and infielder Jose Reyes. Bruce will earn $13 million next year while Reyes will receive the league minimum of about $500,000. New York also declined pitcher Jon Niese's 2017 Team Option, choosing to give him a $500,000 buyout instead of the $10 million salary. 

Bruce, acquired from the Reds right before the trade deadline, had not lived up to expectations as a Met. The 29 year old hit a measly .219/.294/.391 with 8 HR in 50 games for New York. As a 2016 All-Star, the Mets had high hopes for Bruce, sending top infield prospect Dilson Herrera and minor league pitcher Max Wotell to Cincinnati. Despite the poor performance, it seemed like a given that the Mets would pick up Bruce's option. With the return of Yoenis Cespedes in doubt, Bruce could serve as a feasible fall-back option if he were to leave. Worst case scenario, the Mets have a trade chip on their hands, and could use him to acquire youth at their depleted positions. 

Reyes rejoined the Mets on a minor league deal in July after serving a 51-game domestic violence suspension. The 33 year old was released by the Colorado Rockies earlier in the season, so many questioned his ability to contribute to the Mets. From a baseball standpoint, Reyes was a nice surprise for the squad. In addition to providing an immediate spark of energy to the team, he hit .267/.326/.443 in 60 games. His lineup presence had relieved Curtis Granderson from his lead-off role, and added the element of speed to the Mets offense. It made perfect sense for the Mets to pick up his option, since it will not hurt their payroll flexibility in the slightest and he has proven to still be a valuable commodity in the league. As for his 2017 role, it will remain in question until we see what the Mets have planned for his off-season. It is possible that he returns to third base to cover for the oft-injured David Wright, or simply slides over to the vacant second base position. 

As for Niese, he was brought back to Queens in July in a deal that sent struggling reliever Antonio Bastardo to the Pittsburgh Pirates. His return was rather brief, however, as he only pitched in six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Niese finished the season with a combined 8-7 record in 121.0 innings pitched. He will join a free agent market that already has an excess of back-end starting pitchers. The Mets are unlikely to bring Niese back in 2017. 

With the World Series now over, free agency is officially set to open on November 8th at 12:01 am. The following Mets players will become free agents at that time: Bartolo Colon, Neil Walker, Alejandro De Aza, James Loney, Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas, and Kelly Johnson. *

* Yoenis Cespedes is expected to opt-out and become a free agent.