Thoughts on Jose Bautista

[Brock Beauchamp]

No. I'd love to have Bautista but not for the first pick of the second round.

 

Even if you flip the guy next July, it's likely the return value won't be much higher than your 40-ish pick in June.

 

In that situation, there are better ways to spend $20m that don't involve flipping a guy and/or losing a pick.

[nicksaviking]

But if Bautista didn't come with some question marks like health, he wouldn't even be available to us.

For one I think the discussion is likely moot as he's still likely not available to the Twins as he'd likely rather try out a contender.

 

Secondly, why do we want him? Is it because we think the team can compete in 2017? Or because we want to play prospect roulette with him? A 36-year-old DH coming off an injury-filled down season leaving the only organization he has ever had success with and paying him +17M plus the draft pick looks like a house bet to me.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Generally I side toward "no" too because of the draft pick -- but maybe this would be a good year to take that risk? Having the top overall pick plus a competitive balance pick makes this other 2nd round pick a little more expendable, perhaps? But on the other hand, I guess since first round picks can no longer be forfeited starting next year, we should have more opportunities to make a move like this in future years too.

 

And Bautista feels like a guy who has a pretty nice bounceback in him yet.

 

I definitely agree it is unlikely from Bautista's end, which also makes the hypothetical a little more appealing too -- a competitive guy like Bautista choosing us could validate our new regime and direction a little bit?

[AZTwin]

I think the opposite is true. Having the first pick makes it less appealing to forfeit a pick in the 2nd. If you underslot the number 1 pick you should have money left over to get a good player in that spot

[brockbesler]

I honestly forgot about having to forfeit the second round pick to sign him. Because of that I would lean towards no, but it would be fun to see him in the Twins lineup.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I think the opposite is true. Having the first pick makes it less appealing to forfeit a pick in the 2nd. If you underslot the number 1 pick you should have money left over to get a good player in that spot

But they can still do that, even if they forfeited their 2nd. They have a competitive balance pick right next to it.

[mikelink45]

And how many games would this gain?  Another slugger is not what we need.  Too many teams said they did not want him because he was not good for the team attitude so why would we want our young players exposed to that.  I guess he could teach Sano to bat flip.

 

[Blake]

 

Can he pitch?  Because he cannot field (-8 fielding runs) and he is only a DH now.  And the Twins do not need a DH.  In 2016 they got .253/.336/.426 with 20 HR from their DH position.  Bautista who is 36 hit .234/.366/.452 with 22 HR, and will likely decline.  So will he make an 103 L team into a 101 loss team?  Maybe.  But who cares. 

 

I'd rather see them pay the $ to sign 3 Cubans or something.

thank you. I thought Batista was another "all bat, no field" player, which the Twins already have plenty of, but I did not have the stats to back up what my eye test was telling me.

[Riverbrian]

I agree with Chief... money should not be an issue. 

 

However... I want the draft pick.

 

I personally endured a 103 loss season and the draft positions were my reward for tolerating all of that. 

[akmanak]

Name one time in Twins history have we ever paid a guy 25 million for one year. Never will happen.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I agree with Chief... money should not be an issue.

 

However... I want the draft pick.

 

I personally endured a 103 loss season and the draft positions were my reward for tolerating all of that.

bingo. I don't care about the money. I care about pitching and maybe a slick fielding short stop.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Name one time in Twins history have we ever paid a guy 25 million for one year. Never will happen.

 

Nor should it in this case.  There is so little upside to the move.

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

Name one time in Twins history have we ever paid a guy 25 million for one year. Never will happen.

Never is a long time.

 

But there is no good reason to put a $20 million guy on the roster now.

[The Wise One]

I think Bautista would look great in a Marlins uniform, but that is just my opinion.   I will confess to only reading the title of the thread and putting down my first impression. The second impression was too bad Colorado does not need a DH. 

[thegambler]

The Twins would get outbid.

[Doomtints]

Bautista would be an upgrade offensively and a downgrade defensively over not just Rosario but any Twins outfielder.  Signing him could help with the sting of losing Dozier but would do nothing to help this pitching staff from getting lit up.  Also, the DH spot is filled so he won't get the days off he will require at 36 years old.

 

But even if this made sense, I don't see any way he would sign with the Twins.  Who the heck wants to run around the field behind a crappy pitching staff at age 36?   He only ends up a Twin if every other team passes, which won't happen. 

[DaveW]

if they sign him I'd rather they just keep Dozier to start the year.

 

Bautista, Sano, Dozier?

 

That is a lineup with some serious serious power.