Houston Astros: Three players the team needs to avoid at the deadline
By T.A. Mock
Jose Bautista, OF, New York Mets
It took a while for Joey Bats career to really take off. But, when it finally did, it shot off like a bullet out of a gun. In 2009, Bautista hit 13 homers, three shy of a career high of 16. In 2010, he belted off 54 home runs. That 41 home run jump is the largest jump in MLB history.
Since then, Bautista became one of the most feared bats in the entire league. Sure, he’s declined some in recent years due to age and injury but, this 37-year-old slugger still has some pop in his bat.
After a failed move back to third base with the Atlanta Braves, Bautista caught on with the New York Mets. He has carved out a decent role for himself in their outfield. His bat has been especially important to them with Yoenis Cespedes’ injury problems this year.
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While he is nowhere near his glory days as the most feared slugger in the game, Bautista’s bat is still fairly respectable. He’s only hitting .213 but, he has an outstanding .362 on-base percentage to pair with a decent .416 slugging percentage. He’s also adding eight home runs and 29 RBIs to his career totals.
Joey Bats could be an alright addition in a limited role off of the bench but, that’s not a spot the Houston Astros need to fill. He won’t cost hardly anything in terms of prospects but, he’ll take up a valuable roster spot that one of the team’s youngsters could fill. So, while outfield could be a spot the team could pursue a player, Bautista is not that guy.