Blue Jays: Who might want to trade for Jose Bautista?

Teams on the outside looking in

There are a number of teams that may or may not choose to become buyers in the next week before the deadline. In the Wild Card era there are plenty of teams within reach with more than two months to go in the season, so it adds an interesting dynamic at this time of the year.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels lost Cameron Maybin to the DL last week with an ankle sprain, and he’s expected to be sidelined for 2-4 weeks. He was brought in to be a primary outfielder, and unfortunately hasn’t been able to perform the way he did last season in Detroit. He was hitting just .238 with six home runs at the time of his injury.

Bautista could fit with the Angels in the outfield, or perhaps he could slot in at first base. Luis Valbuena is listed at the top of the depth chart, and he’s hitting just .184 in 190 at bats on the season. The Angels are just 2.5 back of a Wild Card spot, but will have to decide if they’re willing to dip into their farm system, and how much. Bautista could be a match because he shouldn’t require a massive return in order to pry him away at this stage.

Minnesota Twins

It would appear the Twins are looking to make a playoff appearance this year, as their young team has started to push for contention before they were expected to. They’re hanging around in the race, currently sitting just a game behind the Wild Card leaders.

I’m not sure if the Twins would be interested, or if Bautista would be willing to go there, but they could find a way to get him into the lineup and give them some extra thump. They currently have Joe Mauer playing first base and Robbie Grossman listed as their DH on their depth chart. Grossman has just 6 home runs and 30 RBI in 268 at bats this season, while hitting .250.

In theory they could bring in Bautista to spell Mauer at first base, possibly Miguel Cano at third, and also DH, while sending Grossman to the bench. Like I said, I have no idea if there’s any mutual interest, but the fit makes some sense, at least to me.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals have dragged themselves back from being buried in the standings, and are currently in possession of one of the Wild Card positions, tied with the Tampa Bay Rays. It may not be a match with Bautista based on some battles they’ve had over the years, but it’s funny how quickly players will get over something like that when their team stands to improve.

The Royals have stalwarts, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon in the outfield, and have rookie Jorge Bonifacio in RF, who has performed admirably. The fit in KC could be at DH, where Brandon Moss has had a very difficult season, hitting just .210 with 12 home runs in 210 at bats. Yes, he had a walk off home run the other night, but he’s largely disappointed this year.

The Royals are facing a potential rebuild of their own next year, as they have most of their core set to hit free agency. They’ve been rumoured to be linked to Marco Estrada as well, so it looks like they’re ready to buy and take one last run at the playoffs with this group.

Seattle Mariners

This one doesn’t make as much sense as the ones above, but it’s possible the Mariners could call to ask about Bautista. They have Mitch Haniger at the top of the right field depth chart, who doesn’t bring a lot in terms of power, but is hitting .269/.366/.447 and is better on defence than Jose.

The Mariners could use a boost to their lineup, but perhaps Bautista’s inconsistency is the opposite of what they should pursue. They’ve had lengthy hot and cold stretches themselves, and may be looking for a different type of player, if they choose to upgrade at all. They’re 2.5 back in the Wild Card standings.

Cleveland Indians

There were rumours late in the offseason that the Cleveland front office had interest in signing Bautista, and bringing him in to join Edwin Encarnacion to bolster their lineup. That obviously didn’t come to fruition, but there were discussions around the idea.

Cleveland currently has Albert Almora and Brandon Guyer playing in right field, and neither is doing much with that bat this season. While Bautista isn’t the greatest defender any more, the upgrade he brings with his bat might make sense here, if the teams can find a common trade ground. Cleveland is in first place in the AL Central, with a 1.5 game lead on the Twins.

Highly unlikely

Boston Red Sox

No, this isn’t going to happen. Sure, he could play third base and give them the upgrade that Pablo Sandoval‘s salary should have provided, but c’mon, let’s be serious.

The Blue Jays aren’t going to trade Bautista to a division rival unless the return is significant. It would be a bad PR move in many ways, and it’s hard to imagine the Sox sending much of anything in return. “Joey Bats” has performed well at Fenway Park over the years, and could serve as a stop gap option at third, but it’s really hard to envision a trade getting worked out.

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New York Yankees

The Yankees and Blue Jays hooked up for a deal on Sunday already, when first baseman/left fielder Ryan McBroom was sent to the Yankees’ organization in exchange for utility man, Rob Refsynder.

If the Blue Jays were willing to sell Bautista on the cheap, the Yankees would likely be interested in finding an upgrade for Chase Headley, who plays both first and third base. The Yankees already acquired Todd Frazier, who is capable of playing both corners as well, but finding an additional corner infielder would help their chances.

The Yankees currently hold one of the two Wild Card spots in the AL, and trail the Red Sox by 2.5 games in the East. While they’ll be looking for upgrades, it’s hard to imagine finding common ground on a deal with a division rival in this case as well.

St Louis Cardinals

There were rumours earlier this month that the Cardinals might have some interest in Josh Donaldson, looking to upgrade their offence. It’s possible they could view Bautista as a cheaper alternative who could play at third base, but it’s questionable what kind of upgrade he could bring to the table.

Jeff Gyoko is at the top of the depth chart at third, and while he could slide anywhere on the infield, the unit is performing pretty well this season. Acquiring Donaldson is a different type of upgrade, as it’s pretty hard to have existing options that could even compare to a recent MVP in that way.

Next: Blue Jays transactions and injury updates

Which teams do you think I’ve missed? I could have gone deeper into this speculation, but I honestly don’t see that many fits among the contenders at the moment. Things can change in a hurry with injuries or asking prices, so it’ll be a situation to monitor over the next week. And of course, Bautista will get the final say.