Jose Batista fits 4 #phillies. Under contract for 2 more yrs. Phils would have more balance from right side also after signing Marlon Byrd
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) November 13, 2013
Bautista, 33, is a four-time AL All-Star with the Blue Jays, hitting .268/.390/.570 with 152 homers. Bautista makes a reasonable $14 million in each of 2014 and 2015 and has a team option at $14 million for 2016. From 2010-2013, Bautista ranks second in MLB in slugging, eighth in OBP, and third in OPS in that time frame.
We will keep an eye on this one for you through the night so be sure to check back for the latest updates.
On a bit of a humorous note, Eskin spelled Bautista’s name incorrectly twice. If the Phillies traded for “Jose Batista”, they’d be trading the Pirates for a 17-year old pitcher.