Is Jose Bautista the next one traded?

[LittleOzzy]

The team is clearly rebuilding and shedding salary so it's not the most unrealistic thought is it?

It may be harder to draw fans this season but if we are really building towards something in the future should we not trade him when his value is at it's highest?

Could Bautista be on his way out at some point this season?

[The_Hater]

I kinda doubt it. It seems like they value Bautista at this point and view him as a future piece.

Plus you assume that his value won't get any higher but I'm not sure that's the case. One more solid (say 30 HR) season and I think he'll be viewed far less like a flash in the pan or more as a legit middle-of-the-order power hitter. I think that will really increase his value.

[evilRyu]

The team is clearly rebuilding and shedding salary so it's not the most unrealistic thought is it?

Since you mentioned "shedding salary", I want to bring up a conversation Jeff Blair had today.. a caller phoned in this morning and used the term "cutting costs" associated to the Jays.. Blair went nuts, and totally denied that the Jays were doing this.. his reasons were not very good at all, citing "trust me, i followed the expos, i know cost-cutting when i see it". the one that *really* threw me off was when he said: "look, if the jays were cost-cutting, why would they add salary and take rivera & napoli back?" what kind of response is that?! What was Blair expecting, the Angels to just take Vernon and his con tract without giving the Jays any salary?!

end rant..

[DonYon]

Bautista is one of very few vet-leader types of guy this left on this roster, and they're gonna need a guy like that going foward.

[satyr9]

Could he be traded? Absolutely. Do the recent changes show that the team wants to trade away anyone who is likely to earn a large salary? I do not think that is what has been proven, but the point could at least be argued.

Moving Wells' deal is cost cutting, but if the Yankees could've moved Pavano or Brown or Giambi with 4 years left on their deals without sending money or elite prospects with them they would've done the same and the Yankees can't even put "cost" and "cutting" together in the same sentence.

To me, the Jays are currently running on a shrewd financial level and, quite frankly, it's a model they should've been adhering to since the Clemens signing failed to bring back the 4mil a year crowds.

I think they will be willing to pay the right players money, similar to Minny finally shelling out for Mauer, but I don't think AA and Beeston will automatically give Bautista a big deal now to prove they are not cheapskates. They'll analyze what he is as a player and what he's worth to the organization as well as what they could receive in a trade and what that is worth to the organization and if any of those calculations point towards trading Bautista, he'll go. I think their modus operandi shows that no one is safe, but each deal made does not point to the inevitable conclusion that those who are destined to earn must go, similar to what has happened in the past in MTL, KC, or FLA.

While the Wells deal has accelerated the clock for me on the path to competing, I sincerely hope they continue the approach they've used thus far 'cause while we're all impatient for a contending team again, I think it is incredibly heartening to realize that even though each large move has been about the long term future, several smaller moves have given incredible short term rewards. The Doc trade was hard for the fans, the Wells trade a little less so. Last year we got Bautista, Morrow, Buck, Gonzalez, and Gregg as unbridled short term rewards to compensate for the loss and tide us over for the future and hopefully some of the new additions can do that for us again. I believe if a proper price can be found they will pay, but I don't think nor do I hope they alter their current strategies to try to prove that they are willing to spend money.

[CapeCrusader]

I was thinking the same, but I think that he'll stay if they are negotiating a contract with him.

[The_Hater]

Bautista is one of very few vet-leader types of guy this left on this roster, and they're gonna need a guy like that going foward.

Assuming that he is a leader, I don't think that will be taken into consideration at all to whether or not they trade him.

[darth_federer]

Absolutely not.

[Kurtz]

Bautista is one of very few vet-leader types of guy this left on this roster, and they're gonna need a guy like that going foward.

Assuming that he is a leader, I don't think that will be taken into consideration at all to whether or not they trade him.

From the talk I heard last year, Bautista was most definitely a leader on this team. And given that AA mentioned how he had Bautista calling Frankie to try to recruit him, it sounds like he has AA's confidence.

Having traded away our other leaders in Doc, Marcum, Wells...Bautista is really the last captain we have on the roster. I think that fact will make it a lot less likely for him to be dealt.

[Relentless88]

I was thinking about this same thing today. Marcum, Wells...I wouldn't be surprised if Bautista is next one dealt if AA feels he'll be too expensive.

[Lateral Quicks]

I don't view any of these moves as being driven primarily by cost-cutting over talent acquisition, with the exception of Wells (and you could argue there that the Jays got the better talent too in Napoli and Rivera, but I won't ).

You don't invest all that money in a bullpen if you're in full-fledged rebuilding mode.

I am so happy that AA believes in the talent/performance approach over salary/name recognition approach to building ball clubs. Just because he's making moves that save the club money doesn't mean he's running it into the ground.

[mapko81]

The only thing that sucks about Bautista is that he is already 30 years old. He will be a free agent next year because he needs to get his first (and probably last) big time contract. Someone will give him a 5-year deal next year. If he hits 30 home runs he is getting 65/5. If he hits 40, he should get 100/5. I am not convinced Jays should shell out that kind of money. Not in 2011, and not on a guy who will be 31 years old.

If we could get three high-end prospects, I would trade Bautista at this point.

[J-Roc]

Bautista is a bone to throw to the fans. He'll stick around for a bit more. Perhaps if they go into spring training and Jays coaches feel Bautista was a fluke, they might decide to deal him. But if he's actually good this year, the fans will enjoy it.

Last season was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The fact the Jays did well just meant fans could be excited even though management was still in tanking mode. This coming season is just another year to not win. If Bautista can get some fans excited over a homerun title, he'll be worth it.

[Hendrix]

The only thing that sucks about Bautista is that he is already 30 years old. He will be a free agent next year because he needs to get his first (and probably last) big time contract. Someone will give him a 5-year deal next year. If he hits 30 home runs he is getting 65/5. If he hits 40, he should get 100/5. I am not convinced Jays should shell out that kind of money. Not in 2011, and not on a guy who will be 31 years old.

If we could get three high-end prospects, I would trade Bautista at this point.

It would be in 2012. And I'm not exactly sure what the problem would be if indeed he proved to people he was legit. It's not like basketball where players production falls off a cliff after 31y/o. And if we were to think he'de produce over that contract it would pretty much lineup perfectly with years we'de want to compete in. I don't think there's any need to fill up the team with any more youth really. Doesn't hurt to have some vets around.

[Randle McMurphy]

Jose Bautista might be the only elite player this team has. You need those kind of players if you're going to compete in the AL East. There's no way that they trade him.

[Ducksplatt]

Maybe at the trade deadline if someone is dangling a good prospect, but Jays need a couple of vets around.

[darth_federer]

Jose Bautista might be the only elite player this team has. You need those kind of players if you're going to compete in the AL East. There's no way that they trade him.

Yep. Boston tried to acquire him but the Jays said no.

The latest revelation that the Red Sox were pursuing Toronto slugger Jose Bautista at the Winter Meetings certainly reinforces how desperately the team wanted to improve the offense, knowing they would likely lose Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre in free-agency from the 2010 squad.

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal first reported the Sox tried to obtain Bautista, who led the majors with 54 homers last season, before signing free-agent leftfielder Carl Crawford. A team source confirmed that the FoxSports report. The Red Sox had claimed Bautista on waivers in the summer of 2009 but were unable to work out a deal with the Jays at the time.

Bautista went on to have a monster, career season in 2010, but now the Jays have to pay him and the arbitration numbers are getting a little less than comfortable for the Blue Jays, who have submitted a $7.6 million figure while Bautista has come in an $10.5 million.

According to the Fox report, the Sox made multiple offers to land Bautista. New Jays manager John Farrell was obviously very familiar with Boston's talent, and so the situation felt a bit like the Adrian Gonzalez trade scenario with Jed Hoyer and the Padres except the teams are in the same division. But it didn't appear the Jays were ever really serious about dealing Bautista and in retrospect were trying harder to get from under Vernon Wells' $86 million. Amazingly the Jays were able to send Wells to the Angels for catcher/ first baseman Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/r ... to_tr.html

[Lateral Quicks]

Probably the best move for the Jays with regard to Bautista is a 3 year deal valued somewhere in the $25-35 million range. Not enough to cripple the club if he regresses, but long enough to either get some very productive years out of him and/or trade him early this year and get a decent return back. If he's back for just the one year, they won't get much for him at the trade deadline if that's the route they decide to go.

Call me naive, but I believe his performance was due to his improved swing mechanics, and that we can expect great things (35-40HR, .360-380) from him going forward. If you look at him, he doesn't appear any different physically now that two years ago (in particular no tell-tale signs of steroid abuse that I can recognize). I think he obviously takes care of his body, which bodes well for his longevity. I hope he sticks around for a salary that's fair to both parties - especially if it's in RF!