Jose Bautista wants to play for Tampa Bay, apparently

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently rebuilding while trying to stay competitive, and are in need of some right-handed bats with pop. Well, 37-year-old Jose Bautista is open to the idea of playing for Tampa Bay in 2018.

According to Marc Tompkins of the Tampa Bay Times, Bautista would be receptive to the idea of playing a corner outfield spot for the Rays on a cheaper deal.

"Even after adding 1B/DH C.J. Cron and Gomez, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they seek another right-handed hitter who can play outfield. If so, an interesting option could be Jose Bautista. Now 37, coming off a rough year in Toronto, the longtime Tampa resident is said to be in great shape, focused, able to play corner infield spots and keenly interested in playing for the Rays, presumably knowing it would be for a low salary."

Bautista, while in the twilight of his career, still possess 25 home run power but his bat isn’t good for much else. His strikeout percentage jumped almost 5% from 2016 to 2017, while also walking 4% less, producing a .308 on-base percentage – the lowest mark Bautista has ever posted as a starter.

As a DH in Tampa, Bautista would be able to avoid the turf and which would hopefully keep him a fresher throughout the season. As Mike Axisa from CBS Sports points out, He would also be able to return to Toronto multiple times during the season by signing with the Rays in the AL East. But with Bautista already calling Tampa Bay home, it would be a much easier transition for the 37-year-old slugger as he likely has few years left in him.

As for the Rays, adding Bautista on a low salary deal hopefully gives them some needed power missing from the lineup. With the club trading four of its top five hitters from last year in terms of WAR (Souza Jr., Morrison, Dickerson, and Longoria), Bautista might have to produce for the Rays to be successful on offense.

But if Bautista does breakout, he instantly becomes a trade piece for the Rays to flip for prospects. Otherwise, it’s a cheap deal for a player who thinks they have something to prove, and for the Rays those are the exact players they should be targeting to round out their major league roster.