Jose Bautista to play in 2018, could provide offensive depth

The beloved Blue Jays star announced he will return next season. But what does the aging home run hitter bring to the table?

Jose Bautista expressed displeasure last offseason, claiming he knew his worth.

The egotistical home run hitter demanded an absurd amount of money despite his shoddy .234 average and 1.0 WAR in 2016. Toronto obliged, however, paying the outfielder nearly $20 million for one season.

Bautista may not be wearing a Blue Jays’ jersey next season, but he will be wearing one nonetheless. The six-time All-Star said he will return in 2018, even though his current option likely won’t be picked up by Toronto.

While the slugger proved himself in the past by consistently hitting 30 or more home runs each season, he struggled mightily across the past two years. He managed to hit a pithy .203 this year, his lowest average since 2005. Granted, he didn’t become an everyday player until 2006.

On paper, Bautista looks to be on the decline, rather than having bad luck. He whiffed 170 times this season, the most in his career. Hist previous career-high was 132 in 2011.

Despite playing in 157 games and compiling a career-high 587 at-bats, he garnered just 65 RBIs and 23 home runs. In 2012, he accumulated just 332 at-bats in 92 games, but he managed to clobber 27 home runs with 65 RBIs. That’s concerning for any team willing to make a run at him in the offseason.

For the first time since 2008, when he split time between the Blue Jays and Pirates, Bautista owned a negative WAR. He saved more runs defensively this season compared to the previous two, but at -0.8, it’s still unappealing.

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At this point, Bautista looks more like a Matt Holliday-esque kind of guy. Holliday hit just .231 for the Yankees this year, but he provided a veteran bat on the bench for the Bronx Bombers. Bautista could be headed in that category as, at age 36, he’s definitely lost some of his quickness and hitting prowess.

Several teams could use Bautista next season, whether it would be off the bench or in right field for a few games. His versatility at first base and in the outfield could attract more teams.

Regarding first base, the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels could decide to pursue Bautista. Both teams sat at the bottom of the rankings in terms of production from first basemen.

The Angels had a carousel for much of the year, shifting C.J. Cron, Luis Valbuena and Jefry Marte in and out of the position. The Mariners, who dealt for Yonder Alonso at the deadline, have Danny Valencia and Taylor Motter as backups. Either way, neither team has much depth at the position.

Teams will likely look at Bautista as the Matt Stairs of 2018. He is a seasoned veteran with loads of power, but has declined considerably. He can help contenders if he can rebound at the plate, though he will not get regular at-bats.

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But there is no way that he can obtain a contract that pays him more than $10 million a year. I think he understands that too. Don’t expect him to gripe about not making that much money next season. He should be happy he will still be given a chance to play.