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Jose Bautista

Phillies Interested In Jose Bautista

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The defending NL Champs would like to add the AL home run leader. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun adds the Phillies to the list of teams interested in Jose Bautista (via Twitter) and explains that Philadelphia has scouted eight of the last nine Blue Jays games. 

The Blue Jays are demanding a lot for Scott Downs and others this summer, so their asking price for Bautista is likely massive. The 29-year-old has 30 homers (1st in the AL), 57 walks (4th in the AL) and nine outfield assists (1st in the AL). He earns $2.4MM this year, could earn $6-7MM in 2011 and will hit free agency after that.

With Chase Utley out, the Phillies could move Placido Polanco to second base and play Bautista at third. Like the Blue Jays, the Phils are extremely active, pursuing Roy Oswalt and others. The Tigers, White Sox, Braves and Giants have also been connected to Bautista this month, so the Phillies will have to out-bid a number of teams to obtain the former Rule 5 pick.

Bautista told the FAN 590 tonight that he enjoys Toronto and would consider signing a multi-year deal with the Blue Jays. The team is not discussing a deal with the slugger now, agent Bean Stringfellow confirmed to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Odds & Ends: Lowell, Barmes, Red Sox, Hanson

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Links for Wednesday, as the Tigers get some infield depth from a division rival…

  • The Rangers haven't ruled out acquiring Mike Lowell, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
  • Agent Bean Stringfellow told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Blue Jays are not currently discussing an extension with Jose Bautista. It’s not at all surprising given how much else the Blue Jays have to sort out this week. Bautista said on the FAN 590 today that he would listen if the Blue Jays approached him with a multi-year deal after the season.
  • The Cardinals are not interested in Clint Barmes, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
  • Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino told WEEI.com’s Alex Speier that the Red Sox will “look aggressively” for ways to improve at the trade deadline.
  • Tommy Hanson explained to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he chose the Boras Corp. because of the support the agency offers.
  • Brett Myers is untouchable, a source tells Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). With respect to Justice and his source, it seems unfathomable that a 41-59 team wouldn't listen to offers on a player who can walk at the end of the season.
  • Casey Fien cleared waivers and the Tigers outrighted him to Triple A, according to the team (via Twitter). Detroit designated Fien for assignment last weekend.
  • Like Fien, Scott Moore cleared waivers and headed to Triple A, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's designated Moore for assignment last week.
  • And another recent DFA, Justin Miller, was outrighted to Triple A Albuquerque, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays have considered Kelly Johnson, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Aaron Hill recently told the Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair that he would play third if the Jays asked him to, so Johnson could theoretically play second in Toronto. Seems like a longshot to me.
  • Kyle Farnsworth is available to manager Ned Yost (and GMs around the league) after leaving yesterday's game with a hamstring cramp, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Trevor Hoffman can veto deals to 25 MLB teams, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The all-time saves leader and his $7.5MM salary would likely clear waivers, so interested teams will probably be able to pursue him in August.
  • One player told Morosi that he'd be "shocked" if the Brewers trade Prince Fielder this week.
  • Mike Axisa counts down the Yankees' top five trade chips at River Ave. Blues.
  • The Dodgers won't discuss prospect Dee Gordon with other teams, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Olney On Hart, Bautista, Soria

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The White Sox would love to trade for a big bat, but rival executives don’t see much depth in their system, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. That may make it tough for GM Kenny Williams to create an enticing offer for Prince Fielder without including Gordon Beckham (that kind of offer just doesn’t seem likely). Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors:

  • Lots of teams are interested in Corey Hart.
  • Yesterday Olney reported that some executives thought Jose Bautista could earn an eight-figure salary through arbitration next year. We crunched the numbers and concluded that it would be a surprise to see him make much more than $6MM. Other officials contacted Olney to say that they would be “stunned” if the slugger made more than $5-6MM in 2011.
  • Rival executives say Joakim Soria’s contract is so team-friendly that it would be difficult for the Royals to trade him. The team has affordable options for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Carlos Pena And Jose Bautista

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What does last year's American League home run leader have in common with this year's AL home run leader besides a habit of hitting the ball over the fence? They both strike out a lot and walk a lot. They were both born in Santo Domingo. They're both bilingual. And both Carlos Pena and Jose Bautista bounced from organization to organization to organization before finding major league success.

The two sluggers have a lot in common, and while some of their similarities don't have any impact on MLB teams, others do. In fact, we can guess what Bautista might make through arbitration next year by comparing him to Pena. 

Like Pena, Bautista is a super two player, meaning he goes to arbitration four times instead of three. After Pena broke out with 46 homers in 2007, he was set to reach arbitration for the third time*. He made $2.8MM in his second arbitration year and was clearly due for a substantial raise after setting a career-high in homers and winning a Silver Slugger in 2007. Ultimately, Pena signed a three-year deal that guaranteed him $6MM for the 2008 season.

Bautista, who has an MLB-leading 26 homers, is headed for his fourth and final arbitration season in 2011. He'll earn $2.4MM this year and, if he keeps hitting like this, will earn substantially more next season. For comparison, Pena's breakout led to a $3.2MM raise. Scott Boras represents Pena, who finished with 20 more homers than Bautista currently has. Even if Bautista continues hitting at an All-Star level, it's hard to imagine him making much more than $6MM next year.

The comparison is imperfect for many reasons, despite the players' similarities. Home run hitters are becoming scarce, Pena's deal was for his third arbitration season and was part of a three-year pact, and Pena had enjoyed more MLB success before his breakout. But it appears that the MLB executives who estimated to Buster Olney that Bautista could earn $10-12MM next year are off the mark. One executive suggested to MLBTR today that Bautista would have a hard time getting much more than $7-8MM in 2011.

So why does this matter? Ask the Blue Jays, who are no doubt wondering how Bautista would fit into their 2011 budget. Or ask the Braves, Giants, Tigers and White Sox, who have all inquired on him. The difference between $6MM and $10-12MM is a big one.

*Pena spent much of 2005-06 in the minors, which slowed his arbitration timeline and path to free agency.

White Sox And Tigers Have Inquired On Bautista

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The White Sox and Tigers have inquired on Jose Bautista, as have the Braves and the Giants, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter). The White Sox are pursuing sluggers including Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder, so their interest comes as no surprise. The Tigers could be eyeing Bautista (who can play third base) partly because of Brandon Inge's fractured hand.

Buster Olney reported today that the Blue Jays are demanding elite young players for Bautista, who leads the major leagues with 26 home runs. The right fielder-third baseman has just less than $1MM remaining on his contract this year, though he'll get a substantial raise through arbitration in 2011, his last season before hitting free agency.

Yankees Considering Jhonny Peralta

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Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta is in the mix along with Florida's Wes Helms as potential bench options for the Yankees, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal says the prices on Jose Bautista and Ty Wigginton are too high.

Peralta has a substantial commitment for a bench player, with $2.23MM remaining on his contract.  He's hitting .252/.314/.401 on the season. 

The Yankees were first linked to Helms four days ago by MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, but Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets today that he's not their first choice.  Other available bench options capable of playing third base include Willie Bloomquist, Adam Kennedy, and Craig Counsell.

Olney On Phillies, Bautista, Dodgers, Red Sox

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Rumors from the blog of ESPN's Buster Olney…

  • Olney suggests the Phillies acquiring Roy Oswalt and trading Jayson Werth would in large part be about positioning the team for 2011.  Oswalt would still be under contract next year, while Domonic Brown would get big league seasoning.
  • Some teams feel that the Blue Jays are bluffing by asking for elite young players for MLB home run leader Jose Bautista.  Rival executives feel that Bautista's salary will jump to eight figures in his final arbitration year, and the Jays would be reluctant to pay.
  • The Dodgers expect they'll be able to add a starter and reliever in the next ten days, giving up better prospects while the other team pays the player's salary.  Not the best long-term strategy.  The Dodgers have been linked to Paul Maholm, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, David Aardsma, and the Blue Jays' relievers.  
  • Some teams believe the Red Sox will be aggressive on the waiver wire next month, placing strategic claims at a time when few teams are willing to take on salary.  Today on the Dennis & Callahan show, Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said the team has "money set aside to acquire talent if we can find it," at that they're at the "bottom end of the tax threshold." 

Rosenthal On Iannetta, Athletics, Bautista

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports kicks off his latest column with a look at Alex Rodriguez's $30MM worth of home run incentives.  The chase isn't generating the buzz the Yankees anticipated when they re-signed A-Rod.  On to Rosenthal's rumors…

  • Talks are on again between the Red Sox and Rockies regarding catcher Chris Iannetta.  The Rockies would want to improve their big league club with an in-season deal, so perhaps we'll hear heightened Iannetta buzz during the offseason if Miguel Olivo is retained.
  • The Nationals do not seem to have chosen a course with Adam Dunn in terms of trading or extending him now.
  • The Athletics have no intention of trading Coco Crisp or Mark Ellis, as both players have club options for 2011.
  • Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli is "a frequent trade target of rival clubs," but the team likes having depth at the catcher position.
  • As part of the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez talks, the Braves and Blue Jays discussed Jose Bautista.  For now, the Braves still have time to evaluate Nate McLouth's recovery from a concussion.  MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote today that the Braves have considered David DeJesus, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, and Josh Willingham as potential trade targets. 

Odds & Ends: Nationals, Lilly, Haren, Marlins, Kotsay

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Sunday night linkage..

Blue Jays Rumors: Trades, Lee, Bautista

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Alex Anthopoulos told Prime Time Sports that he has been on the phone with rival teams regularly as the Blue Jays continue exploring deals. The Blue Jays GM said on the FAN 590 that the team is willing to get creative between now and July 31st. Here are the details:

  • Trade talks are picking up and the Jays "have been pretty active with respect to phone calls." Rival clubs are "starting to get the itch and starting to gather information."
  • The Blue Jays are open to discussing any deal, though some players will naturally be harder to obtain than others. We heard earlier today that the Blue Jays are open to dealing Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg, but it sounds like other players could also be obtained for the right return.
  • Anthopoulos says he likes to get "as creative as [he] can," and is open to three or four-team deals.
  • Anthopoulos was in touch with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, since the Blue Jays were open to getting involved in possible Cliff Lee trades as a third or fourth team.
  • The Blue Jays like Jose Bautista for his power, strong throwing arm and clubhouse presence, but Anthopoulos chose not to comment on whether the team would consider locking the AL home run leader up.
  • Anthopoulos also noted that players are not immune to rumors. "They all look at MLBTradeRumors.com," he said.
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