Page 1 of 2
Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:40 pm
by MGD24
@gregorMLB
Bautista gets the start in RF vs Orioles. That's the position he will play for the 2011 season and beyond
@gregorMLB
Encarnacion is now the club's starting 3B to start the year. Rivera to DH
@LottOnBaseball
Decision based on EE losing 14 pounds, being more agile, elevating his defence in camp.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:49 pm
by tecumseh18
Wow, didn't see that coming so quickly. I guess they're happy with Lind at first. So who's the DH until Lawrie comes up?
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:58 pm
by Michael Bradley
I was expecting this to happen but with Lawrie winning the 3B spot out of ST. I am (pleasantly) surprised that the club has put EE there for the short-term. He is not a very good defensive 3B, but he is keeping the spot warm for Lawrie anyway so not a big deal. I envision a lot of errors with EE and Lind in the corners though.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:01 pm
by MGD24
tecumseh18 wrote:Wow, didn't see that coming so quickly. I guess they're happy with Lind at first. So who's the DH until Lawrie comes up?
I would think Rivera?
http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2011/03/29/bautista-in-right-encarnacion-at-third/
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:04 pm
by mikero
Makes sense to me.
- Bautista moves to his preferred position in RF where he was going to get moved to eventually
- No loss defensively
- Gives EE more value (easier to achieve type B status in group 2)
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:11 pm
by tecumseh18
Of course. I keep forgetting about him. It's like a mental block, the last tiny remnant of Vernon in the organization.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:11 pm
by luvtheteam
Wow...this is interesting. EE has hardly played 3rd this spring. His defence was always pretty good i thought, but his throwing was unrealiable. Bautista made some errors this weekend at 3rd...wonder if that factored in. Probably easier for him to play right field anyways.
I'm ok with this. Nice to have the flexiblity to move guys around.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:22 pm
by YogiStewart
on the radio, Wilner said that Lawrie was in the clubhouse yesterday. wasn't sure if Lawrie was a call-up or if something else was in the works.
Also wondered if there's a Rivera trade in the works.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:30 pm
by MGD24
YogiStewart wrote:Also wondered if there's a Rivera trade in the works.
I think there may have been but maybe it fell through?
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:41 pm
by hyper316
E5 is back, but slimmer? This sets up lawrie for coming up sooner than later. Lind full time at 1B? Let's see how this pans out. The OF looks set for the next 2 years, it's the infield that worries me,
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:55 pm
by LBJSeizedMyID
Was Lawrie officially re-assigned to the minor leagues though? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't think that was official yet.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:55 pm
by pierro
they must have found a trade partner for Rivera. Why bother sending Lawrie down if the club had 0 intentions at the beginning of camp to put EE in 3rd anyway?
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:19 pm
by Schad
LBJSeizedMyID wrote:Was Lawrie officially re-assigned to the minor leagues though? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't think that was official yet.
He didn't need to be, as Lawrie was never called up, just assigned to the major league camp; transferring him back to the minor league camp has no real impact save for where he trains and the games in which he appears. Actually, he's not even on so much as the 40-man as it stands.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:21 pm
by damadmonk
pierro wrote:they must have found a trade partner for Rivera. Why bother sending Lawrie down if the club had 0 intentions at the beginning of camp to put EE in 3rd anyway?
The Twins maybe?
Weren't the Jays heavily scouting "Slowely";
Twins make Slowey available, but where will he go?
March 25
Foxsports.com
"The Minnesota Twins have chosen Scott Baker over Kevin Slowey as their No. 5 starter, and sources say they are willing to trade Slowey for a late-inning reliever. But even with Slowey's success last season — 13-6 with a 4.45 ERA — the Twins don't appear to have an abundance of trade options. The ideal trade partner would (a) need a right-handed starter and (b) be able to deal from a surplus of major league-caliber relievers. Right now, few (if any) teams match that description. Two clubs that are looking for a starting pitcher — the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners — are also short on relievers. Teams that could or will be without starters on Opening Day — the Cardinals (Adam"
http://www.prosportsdaily.com/mlb/mlb-rumors.html
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:49 pm
by WpgPage
Doesn't fit twins needs
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:50 pm
by LittleOzzy
Jose Bautista surprised by move to right field
Seventy-two hours before they start their season, the Blue Jays made a major switch to their defence that gives fans some clue where they will be heading later this year.
On Tuesday morning, home run king Jose Bautista was told by manager John Farrell that he will no longer be playing third base.
Instead, he will move to right field. Edwin Encarnacion, previously slotted in as a backup infielder and designated hitter, will now assume starting duties at third.
Bautista insisted that he had not pushed for the change — “It’s as much as a surprise to you as it is to me” — but acknowledged that he felt more comfortable in the outfield.
Let’s be precise, because Bautista was: “I never said ‘I prefer (right field)’, I always said I think I’m more valuable to our team defence as we are set up in right field.”
Bautista did not want to seem celebratory, especially with the real loser in the switch, Juan Rivera, sitting beside him in the clubhouse as he spoke to the media. Bautista has never genuinely seemed bothered about where he plays. His only complaint, he said, was switching back and forth between the infield and the outfield. The wildly different throwing expectations have caused his shoulder to tighten up in the past.
Or, as clubhouse cut-up Aaron Hill put it: “For his contract, I’d pitch.”
This is one of those give and take situations. Bautista is a far better right-fielder than the current option, Juan Rivera. However, Encarnacion has been an X-factor at third in the past, and not in a good way.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/ ... ight-field
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:32 pm
by SharoneWright
It makes the most sense - wanted this from day 1!
Better lineup this way! Woot! Plus you show some love to your "star" player.
1 year contract for EE just a place holder for Lawrie....
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:09 pm
by Randle McMurphy
Good move, this is what I was calling for when they originally signed E5. There was no reason to move him off third after the improvements he made last year.
One thing, though. Can somebody please tell me why this team didn’t sign Manny Ramirez (or one of the many other quality DH’s available)?
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:31 pm
by tecumseh18
Randle McMurphy wrote:
One thing, though. Can somebody please tell me why this team didn’t sign Manny Ramirez (or one of the many other quality DH’s available)?
Yeah, yeah, but AA seems to genuinely like EE, and he's the obvious DH when Lawrie is called back up.
I think if AA knew exactly what was going to happen - e.g. trading Vernon, getting Lawrie - earlier in the offseason, Manny would be ours. I'm disappointed, I definitely would have gone to see more games this season, but it's not going to matter a lot in the long run.
Re: Bautista moved back to RF
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:33 pm
by MGD24
Randle McMurphy wrote:Good move, this is what I was calling for when they originally signed E5. There was no reason to move him off third after the improvements he made last year.
One thing, though. Can somebody please tell me why this team didn’t sign Manny Ramirez (or one of the many other quality DH’s available)?
I think because the team thought it wasn't the right time to bring him in...for 2011...as the focus seemed to be on 2012.
But he sure would look good in that lineup in the DH spot right about now