Bruce out to prove he's not finished in 2019

TOKYO -- You can pardon Jay Bruce if he asked to see a copy of his birth certificate this spring, just to make sure he hadn’t gotten senile and forgotten how old he actually is nowadays.

On a rebuilding Mariners roster, the three-time National League All-Star is often referred to as some aging warrior, a past-his-prime veteran just there to offer advice to the youngsters and serve out the rest of his contract.

But Bruce shakes his head at that notion. He’s healthy this spring, back to feeling himself after dealing with plantar fasciitis in his feet and a nagging hip injury that derailed him last year with the Mets.

While much of the Mariners' focus was aimed at the youthful prospects lined up for the future, Bruce had the best offensive camp of anyone, hitting .433 with a pair of home runs in 30 Cactus League at-bats.

And though he looks a bit like a coach when he walks through the clubhouse, the man is still just 31, only three years older than Mitch Haniger, one of the players the Mariners are building around. So no, he’s not quite ready to be put out to pasture.

"I think honestly what I deal with a lot, I've been in the Majors since I was 21,” Bruce said. “I think people maybe get mixed up with the fact I've been around a long time. I mean, I'm not a spring chicken. But I'm 31, going to be 32 [in April]. There's been a lot of good seasons by guys at 32 years old.

"It's not that much difference from these 27- and 28-year-olds. When I was 28, it was like my ninth year. I understand how people from the outside look at it, but I just got here quicker."

The Mariners acquired Bruce largely as a factor of salary relief from the Mets in the Robinson Cano deal, taking on the two years and $28 million remaining on his contract after an injury-plagued 2018 in New York. But he’s given Seattle both a quality middle-of-the-order bat and a needed veteran presence among the club's younger players.

Having been a part of five postseason teams during his 11 seasons with the Reds, Indians and Mets, Bruce thinks these Mariners are better than the perception cast by general manager Jerry Dipoto’s offseason flurry of moves.

"There's a lot of talent here,” Bruce said. “Everyone has been talking about how we're young and rebuilding or retooling or whatever they want to call it. But our lineup is full of all kinds of guys with at least some kind of track records.

“From what I've seen, we have a lot of young prospects that will be ready in a couple years. But if you look now, I like what our lineup looks like. We have a lot of guys who've been around for two, three, four years and have really kind of gotten their footing. I’m feeling very happy and excited.”

Bruce is only a year removed from a career-high 36 home runs with 101 RBIs between the Mets and Indians in 2017. He says he’s back to feeling normal again and is running well in the outfield, where he’ll split time in the corner spots as well as playing some first base and designated hitter.

Bruce was at first base in Saturday 6-4 exhibition win over the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome and went 1-for-3 with another home run and three RBIs as he continued tuning up for Wednesday’s Opening Day game against the A’s. Like most of the players, he’s soaking up everything he can in his first trip to Japan.

“It’s cool to see the cultural differences of the teams,” he said. “You go out there and they’ve got two BP pitchers throwing at the same time. Balls flying everywhere. Little stuff like that. I just like being here. It’s almost humbling, it’s so different, and continues to hammer home that the way we know is not necessarily the only way.”

As they say, you’re never too old to stop learning. Not that Bruce is old, of course.

Across the clubhouse sits 45-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who was already 34 when Bruce first broke into the big leagues. Bruce still feels young, but he’s not going to catch up to Ichiro.

"Nor do I want to,” he said with a smile. “That's incredible. That's such a feat. I've really had a lot of fun getting to know him and have so much respect for him. But me? I plan on playing a lot of pickup basketball when I'm 45."