Fansided

Top 25 MLB trades of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JULY 03: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 3, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 03: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 3, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

17. Jose Bautista to the Blue Jays, 2008

  • Blue Jays get: Jose Bautista
  • Pirates get: Player to be named later

It might not come across (yeah, right), but Jose Bautista plays baseball with a small chip on his shoulder. Just a tiny chip. Of all the players who play baseball with an attitude, Bautista might have the most justification. He was traded or given up on six times before finally establishing himself as a full-time MLB star with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bautista had played parts of six seasons in the big leagues before exploding for 54 home runs in 2010. He played for four different teams alone in 2004 after failing to stick with the Baltimore Orioles as a Rule 5 pick. Maybe that’s why games against the Orioles seem to bring out the most from Joey Bats?

The Blue Jays can pat themselves on the back all they want for finding Bautista, but the real truth of the matter is they got incredibly lucky with his explosion. He has hit .257/.377/.515 in ten years in Toronto with 281 home runs. Bautista led MLB in home runs in 2010 and 2011, but has battled injuries and age on and off since. He has still been a valuable presence in the middle of the Blue Jays lineup and gives the franchise its identity with his outsized personality.

This may possibly be the best return on a post-deadline waiver trade in MLB history. Bautista’s six-year peak from 2010 to 2016 produced a .268/.390/.555 line with 227 home runs. The brash outfielder/DH is almost single-handedly responsible for helping to inject life back into baseball in Canad’a biggest city.

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