Christmas Comes Early for AA: Jose Bautista First to 30 HRs

You’re sitting in your war room as GM of the Toronto Blue Jays who will not make the playoffs in 2010, knowing full well that the trade deadline is less than a week away. You’ve got assets that are declining in value as the minutes tick, and others that are increasing in value. Each game played, AB, and pitch thrown has a clear impact on how attractive each one of your players is to other teams and has a direct impact on what value you can ask for in return. You are Alex Anthopolous, and as you watch the Jays clobber the Orioles one more time in 2010, you get the biggest gift a GM could ever ask for during these times: 2 HRs and a 4 for 4 day from a player who costs little, is controllable through 2011, and provides any acquiring team with flexibility on the field and a leader off the field. Merry Christmas Alex, enjoy you’re biggest trade asset.

There’s no way to tell why people keep placing Adam Dunn ahead of Jose on the trade market. As I showed in my Adam Dunn vs Jose Bautista post yesterday, Jose Bautista‘s value is higher than Adam’s and should give the Jays substantial returns that they cannot overlook regardless of the fact that they do love Jose and his makeup. The truth is that the chances he’ll continue this pace and performance in 2011 are just too risky to bet on when you’re trying to build a team that will win many championships in the next 2-10 years.

So in this market, with astronomical prices being set for both Prince Fielder and Adam Dunn, what will Alex Anthopolous extract from other GMs in return for the MLB HR leader who has 30 HRs to his credit before August? My guess – a ton! I’m not going to say that it’s Doc Halladay huge, but two top 100 prospects is not out of the question and would be better than anything the DBacks got in return for Dan Haren.

The guys on XM MLB Radio have been mentioning a key fact that affects Jose Bautista and other hitters. If a team can’t land a top pitcher, or at least a really effective one, during a playoff push, they’re much better off getting themselves a better bat that can help drive in more runs instead. So, when it becomes evident that arms such as Roy Oswalt are just unattainable, I expect more teams to come knocking on the Jays door looking for a bat like Jose’s to add to their chances this year.

Just over 4 days left, and I can’t wait for Alex Anthopolous to show us what presents he gets this Christmas in July!