The Nationals have re-signed outfielder Rafael Bautista to a minor league contract after releasing him over the weekend, reports Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
The 25-year-old Bautista had been occupying a spot on the 40-man roster but suffered a torn ACL and LCL while playing in Triple-A. In order to open the 40-man spot but also retain him, the Nats released him and quickly brought him back on a new minor league pact that’ll let him rehab with the organization while creating additional roster flexibility.
Bautista made a brief cameo in the Majors this season, going hitless in six plate appearances, and he also had a quick cup of coffee with the 2017 Nats, going 4-for-25 in 17 games. He’d been off to a fine start in the minors this year, hitting a combined .303/.345/.376 with a homer, three doubles, a triple and six steals (in eight attempts) through 121 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
While he’s never had much power in the minors and drew 30-grade power in his most recent scouting report at Fangraphs, Bautista does boast excellent speed and solid contact skills. He’s swiped 239 bases in 534 career minor league games, and he’s struck out at just a 15.6 percent clip in Double-A and a 17.5 percent clip in Triple-A. Baseball America, Fangraphs and MLB.com all rated him inside the organization’s top 20 prospects recently, and he has the upside of eventually functioning as a speed- and defense-oriented fourth outfielder at the big league level, assuming, of course, that he can recover from that serious knee injury.
Amazing the Bautista didn’t try to run to another team for more money. Much respect.
Did he have other options tho?
No other team would likely sign a player who recently suffered what’s likely a season-ending injury
I really dislike the practice of “player gets hurt so we release him and sign him a lesser contract” though :-/ Wish they would fix some of these loopholes.
They probably didn’t give him less-and they need MORE loopholes-Everything favors the players.expecially opt out clauses.if a player signs a contract with an opt-out clause Should be a two way clause if the player has a bad season-Teheran TEAM opts out!
“Everything favors the players.”
You can’t be serious. Had the Nats not re-signed him to a MiLB deal Bautista would have been at least temporarily without a team. He’d have been rehabbing on his own with no promise of a job when/if he recovers. Pray tell how this sort of arrangement favors the player?
“Should be a two way clause if the player has a bad season-Teheran TEAM opts out!” (sic)
There already are contracts with team options. If that’s what team and player agree to—great. But if team and player agree to a contract with a player option instead why in the world do you want to deny them that to which both sides have agreed? Are grownups not allowed to make decisions like this for themselves and without consideration for your feelings? Why do you hate freedom?
I agree that more teams should have team opt out clauses. However, teams aren’t pushing for those contracts so tough luck on them. Hopefully these teams get smart and realize 10 year, $300MM deals aren’t the way to go.
Not without proper provisions at least,
The team
Why do I hate freedom-because you used to be able to take in most ballgames with your whole family for about $100-now most people cannot afford to take thier whole family to 1-2 games a year! Between parking ,the tickets and a couple treats (hot dog and drink ) $300 bucks easily
“You used to be able to take in most ballgames with your whole family for about $100 . . .”
The cost of doing most everything has gone up. But even ignoring inflation, why do you expect players or owners to subsidize your family’s day at the ballpark? If you think the price is too high—don’t go. If enough people don’t go the team will have to adjust its pricing. If sufficient fans don’t join your boycott it would be an indication that others do not agree with you that it is overpriced.
BTW, I’d have seen and responded to your comment sooner had you posted it as a reply to mine rather than an independent comment.
Everything used to be in the owners control-now the pendulum has swung the other way