Toronto Blue Jays: Jose Bautista has a fan of his mound work

Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is continuing his attempt to make a comeback as a two way player. He certainly has one fan in Marcus Stroman.

It has been over a year since we last saw Jose Bautista on the diamond. The former Toronto Blue Jays slugger had essentially taken a tour of the NL East, spending time with the Braves, Mets, and Phillies. That tour did not exactly go as he would have hoped, as Bautista posted a combined .203/.348/.378 batting line in 399 plate appearances. He still had some pop in the bat and a solid eye at the plate, as evidenced by his 13 homers and 67 walks, but he just did not have the thunder he once did.

After failing to receive an offer last season, Bautista has decided to make a comeback as a two way player. Former teammate Marcus Stroman had sung his praises on the mound, saying that Bautista would be an upgrade in any bullpen, given his fastball velocity and movement. But the phones have yet to ring.

That lack of interest has yet to dissuade either Bautista or Stroman. Bautista has continued to hone his craft, adding a sinker, slider, and change to his arsenal. According to Stroman, all of his pitches are major league caliber.

It is difficult to believe that Bautista has managed to develop four major league caliber offerings in less than a year. Obviously, his former teammate is trying to pump Bautista up, pushing to get him even a look once spring training begins once again.

But that does not diminish the fact that Bautista is certainly an interesting player in a two way role. He still has some pop, and could be a dangerous pinch hitter late in the game. He also had a cannon of an arm in right, and has not lost any of that strength based on his fastball velocity.

Teams everywhere are constantly desperate to find quality relief pitching. We see how, every year at the trade deadline, teams in contention send prospects away in the hopes that one or two relievers can make a difference. Likewise, teams look for that power bat off the bench, hoping that player can provide some late inning heroics and maybe win a game or two. Why not get both in the same package?

A team could do just that with former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista. All they have to do is pick up the phone once the roster freeze is over.