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Toronto needs to trade Jose Bautista

By Darrell Samuels

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May 30, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hits a home run in the fifth inning in a game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a wait and see mode. The team is currently tied for second place with the Tampa Bays with identical win/loss records of 43-42. They are both two games behind the New York Yankees and a game behind the wildcard position.

The Blue Jays just completed a weekend series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Thirteen of the next sixteen games for the club are on the road. The only home series they have is a series against the Tampa Bay Rays after the All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

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If you have been watching any form of Toronto Blue Jays games recently, it is painfully obvious that the team needs improvement either by adding a starting pitcher or reliever. Changes are needed, if they have any aspirations of having a first playoff date in Toronto since the 1993 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Third baseman, Josh Donaldson, was acquired in a winter blockbuster deal with the Oakland Athletics for Brett Lawrie and a series of prospects. Donaldson has stepped in and been a successful acquisition for Toronto. He has recently been announced as a starter for the American League at third base in the All-Star Game at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

There are starting pitchers that could be had. Some rumored names out there are Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto, Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels and Oakland’s Scott Kazmir. Hamels has already nixed the idea of coming to Toronto according to CBS Sports.

It could be argued that Josh Donaldson has secretly moved the pressure of Jose Bautista being the only potent bat in the lineup to Donaldson being the superstar. Donaldson’s not going anywhere but could the time come where the Blue Jays do offer up Jose Bautista in trade talks?

Jose Bautista has been a good soldier since coming to Toronto in the 2008 season. He came in a mid-season trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has developed his skills to be a phenomenal hitter at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are already sitting with a feared top 5 in their lineup. Jose Reyes, Donaldson, Russell Martin, Edwin Encarnacion and Bautista are all feared hitters to the pitching staff of their opponents. They cause fits for the managers trying to pitch around these five.

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The American League East has never been more winnable than it appears to be this season. The Boston Red Sox are in the basement and having lots of issues on and off the field. The New York Yankees are doing well right now, despite their age and pitching injury woes. The Tampa Bay Rays are ‘the little engine that could’ that are managing to stay in contention despite losing key members of their team. Two key members of the Rays that left are ex-Rays manager Joe Maddon and prized left handed pitcher David Price.

Danny Valencia and Chris Colabello have provided adequate bats for the outfield. Outfielder Michael Saunders is due back at some point this season. You would have to think that he is slated to go back to left field.

Moving Bautista, at probably his highest value he has right now, might allow Valencia and Colabello to share right field responsibilities and get Toronto those one or two pitchers needed to push them over the top and into playoff contention.

Outside of Mark Buehrle there are questions about how reliable this pitching staff is. Buehrle leads the team with 9 wins and R.A. Dickey leads the team with 9 losses. In between these two ‘aces’ are Drew Hutchison with 8 wins, Marco Estrada with 6 wins and a series of call-ups from Buffalo to replace the injured Aaron Sanchez.

The time to trade Jose Bautista is now. His play will not be any better than it is now. Moving Bautista is the way to go. He has already expressed displeasure in General Manager Alex Anthopoulos’ lack of movement at the 2014 trade deadline. Put the leadership role on Donaldson, if you are able to move Bautista. Donaldson has 17 homeruns and 57 RBI’s over the course of the season and is still a scary bat to face in the lineup.

Losing Bautista and getting one or two pitchers is a win situation for Toronto. Trading more prospects for pitching isn’t the way to go. The team has done it already and needs to restock the prospects.

The time has come for Bautista to go!

Next: Why Brett Cecil?

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