Blue Jays "In" On Josh Reddick, Jay Bruce

The Blue Jays hot stove is alive and well today, as Jim Bowden of ESPN tells us that the team is interested in both Josh Reddick and Jay Bruce. With the right-handed hitting Melvin Upton Jr. already on the roster, it appears the team is looking for a left-handed hitting bat to platoon him with.

Reddick, 29, spent last season with the Oakland Athletics, before being flipped to the Dodgers at the deadline. I profiled Reddick here, noting that his success against right-handed pitchers would make him an ideal match with the Blue Jays. He profiles as an average defender in right field, and his low strikeout totals would be a welcoming addition to this roster.

Bruce, also 29, was nearly traded to the Blue Jays prior to last season, but ended up splitting the year between the Reds and Mets. On the bright side, Bruce hit 33 home runs last season and is a strong bat against right-handed pitching. However, his work in the field significantly hurt his value, as he cost his team 11 runs in terms of defensive runs saved. His defence, combined with a mediocre on-base percentage, makes him a questionable target. We do know the Blue Jays tried to acquire him in the past, so do not rule this out just yet.

Bruce is set to earn $13 million in the final year of his contract, and it's unclear what the Mets would ask for in return. The team already boasts Curtis Granderson, Juan Lagares, and Michael Conforto in their outfield, and should get Lucas Duda back at first base for opening day.

.@JimBowden_ESPN: "#BlueJays are in on Josh Reddick & have discussed a trade with #Mets for Jay Bruce. Working on LH platoon for Upton"

— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 13, 2016

In other news, it appears as though former Blue Jay Devon White will become the new hitting coach at AA New Hampshire:

Devon White tells me he's the new hitting coach for the @FisherCats #BlueJays

— Barry Davis (@SNBarryDavis) November 13, 2016