Whether one shining night will affect trade-deadline dynamics, Bautista certainly intensified the focus on his improbable breakthrough season with an eye-popping performance against Baltimore: two home runs, two singles, a walk and five RBIs, capped by an astounding throw from right field to nail a runner at third base.
“Might even raise my trade value,” he said with a smile in the Jays’ clubhouse on Wednesday. “So hopefully, the team doesn’t get overwhelmed [by trade offers] because I’d like to remain here. Obviously I like the team and I’m playing well here. I don’t see any reason to change.”
Bautista, 29, insists his transformation from banjo hitter to slugger is no fluke. With persistent guidance last summer of manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Dwayne Murphy, he says he finally learned to start his swing earlier and unleash his latent power.
His swing itself has not changed, he said, and he is not trying to hit home runs.
“I’ve always tried to hit the ball as hard as I can. People say I have a violent swing, and I’m sure it looks like that. That’s just my tempo. That’s just the speed I work at.
“I finally found a way, with getting started earlier, to be able to have that hard, all-out swing and still be able to have good timing.”
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The Globe also has a mention in its item today that Bautista has been put in charge of helping Escobar get comfortable in Toronto, another sign the team won't sell him cheaply, if at all.
