Mets trade rumors: Mets prefer to trade Granderson, might give Jay Bruce a qualifying offer

As the trade deadline approaches, the Mets plan to use a rotation in the outfield to get all four of their outfielders playing time until either Curtis Granderson or Jay Bruce is traded, according to Ken Rosenthal. The team would prefer to trade Granderson and would then consider giving Bruce a qualifying offer.

The outfield rotation plan consists of a general concept of “play three days, sit one,” with Granderson and Bruce taking those regular days off alongside Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes. Both Granderson and Bruce are set to hit free agency after this season, and they’re making similar salaries this year, with Granderson at $15 million and Bruce at $13 million.

Despite getting off to a brutal start this year, Granderson has gotten his numbers on the season back in the range of his career norms thanks to a torrid stretch that began in mid-May. Overall, he’s hitting .228/.329/.463 with 13 home runs and a 108 wRC+ in 313 plate appearances. And Bruce, who started the season very hot, hasn’t quite been among the better hitters in the league, but he has remained good. He’s hitting .264/.333/.534 with 24 home runs and a 127 wRC+ that would be the highest single-season mark of his career if he were to maintain it the rest of the way.