Is there any possible player(s) I think might be worth him, and his cheap contract? Maybe – how about King Feliz. That would still leave us – Escobar SS (R), Thames RF (L), Lawrie LF (R), Lind 1st (L), EE 3rd (R), Snider CF (L), d’Arnaud C (R), Cooper (DH bats L) and Hill 2nd (R).

The King, Morrow, Romero, and two of Drabek, Alvarez and Hutchison. By mid to late 2012.

The King or JoeyBats – seriously, close, eh?

The unfortunate part is there is no way of knowing how far away the Jays are to making a serious run deap into the playoffs. Morrow, Romero, Snider show signs of greatness, only to dissapear. Escobar, Bautista, and Lind are the only players that consistantly play worthy of a contender.

The rest of the current starters (Litch, Cecil, CV, Reyes, Richmond, Stewart, Mills) are not good enough to start on a contending team in the AL east. In my opinion, JPA is not the answer behind the plate, both offensively and defensively. He has too many flaws in his swing and a low OBP. We do not have a CF whom is above average at anything other than steeling 3b. Hill is lost offensively, and the bullpen is shaky at best.

Now, we do have a plethera of high ceiling tallent on the way to fill the gap, but most of these players will not be able to step up and play above average right from game one. It could take 2 to 4 years for these players, including guys like Morrow, Drebek and Romero, to really take that step forward and play like all stars.

Yes, Bautista is the franchise player. Yes, Bautista is the best player in baseball. He has more value to the Jays than just his play. He bridges the communication gap for latin american players, and he can go a long way in helping the team sign international players. But the timeling of his “Prime” and the Jays “contention” are potentially far apart.

For these reasons, I hope that AA thinks long and hard about this, and if he is blown away by an offer, he seriously considers it.

What would a Jose return bring the Blue Jays? Very tough call and I seriously cannot fathom AA completing a trade before the deadline. But if Jose finishes the 2011 season with another 50 dinger campaign with an explosive .330 avg…. the return would be exceptional!

Possibilities?

Bautista to Braves for Heyward and Beachy or Minor or Venters (future closer)?

Bautista to Phillies for Hamels and Brown?

Bautista to Mets for David Wright +?

Bautista to Reds for Joey Votto (I think this is a stretch because Joey has less control ability then Jose)

I think the sweepstakes for such a move would be incredible and moving this commodity would be much easier then the Halladay move AA was stuck with a year ago. In a perfect world Jose would be 5 years younger and the Jays would be sprinting into post season for the next 10 years. Moving Bautista now would put 3 or 4 pieces of the puzzle together.

Thoughts?

Take a hike.