Baltimore Orioles: 10 Free Agent Left-Handed Hitters Team Could Pursue

5. Jay Bruce – OF

A set of Orioles rumors wouldn’t be complete without speculating what Jay Bruce would look like on the team. The Baltimore Orioles and Bruce have been connected in trade talks for a long time, and now he’s finally a free agent and is someone that could be very useful for the Orioles.

This is where the potential free agents get a little more expensive. I don’t think Bruce is going to ask for the world in terms of a contract, but he is coming off the best season of his career, as he slashed .254/.324/.508 last year with 36 home runs, 82 runs, and 101 RBIs.

While his power numbers were career-bests, it was still a pretty standard Jay Bruce season: an average in the .250s with loads of home runs. It was nice to see Bruce get to be in the American League though, having spent his entire career up to that point in the National League.

Bruce’s batting average certainly won’t hurt you, and his power is always useful. Playing in the American League East, I could totally see Bruce hitting around 35 home runs or so again, especially if he keeps his hard-hit rate around the 40% it was last year.