Yankees Rumors: Bombers Not Looking at Slugger Jose Bautista

The New York Yankees are reportedly not interested in adding free agent slugger Jose Bautista, who seems to be having trouble finding the right fit on the market.

While the New York Yankees could arguably use one more proven power bat if they are looking to contend in 2017, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports that the club is not “seriously pursuing” Jose Bautista.

That’s not much of a surprise, as multiple sources (including Joel Sherman of the New York Post) have reported that the organization has reached the ceiling of their budget following the Aroldis Chapman signing and would need to deal away a veteran like Brett Gardner or Chase Headley before making any more additions to the roster.

There is also the question of just where New York would play Bautista if they did sign him. The fragile 36-year-old is an absolute butcher in the outfield at this point, so trading Gardner and replacing him with Bautista would be a risky proposition.

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The team already filled it’s DH spot, at least for next year, with Matt Holliday, so if New York added Joey Bats, one of those lumbering sluggers would need to put on a glove.

One outside the box suggestion might be to allow Greg Bird to begin the season in Triple-A and build up strength in his surgically repaired shoulder after missing the entire 2016 campaign to the injury. That would allow Bautista to play first next year and then take over as DH when Holliday departs. That arrangement would be even more interesting if the Yankees would consider playing Edwin Encarnacion at first.

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Because signing Bautista would require clubs to surrender a draft pick as well as commit multiple years to a player whose numbers took a steep dive in 2016, it doesn’t seem impossible that his price would fall far enough that New York gets involved, but more likely Toronto ponies up for their iconic star before we reach that point.