Trying to Spin Zone the Jose Bautista Trade

On the surface this is a trade for a bat to help the Phillies win these tight games down the stretch. Scratch to the second level and it’s a very unnecessary trade as Joey Bats is batting .196 with 11 HR and 42 RBI thru this point late in the season. I don’t even have to dig into the saber metrics to prove how unproductive he’s been (but I did anyway and they’re not good either). So what the hell did Matt Klentak think the Phillies needed Jose Bautista for?

Klentak is too intelligent to be tantalized by 2010-2015 Bautista so he must have seen what I am seeing as the only positive of trading for this stunningly below average outfielder/ third baseman. His locker room presence and intimidation. I think there are enough dumb dumb brains around baseball to see this trade and be like “oh shit, the Phillies are really going for this thing and they’re not messing around now”.

I mean look at the guy. Something about his Borat-on-roids look is absolutely intimidating to other teams. I never liked watching an AB against him for this reason.

Aside from showing other teams they mean business, the Phillies themselves may also take this as a statement that “We’re here and we’re pushing for October”. Because, as I wrote in my last blog “Aaron Nola, Am I Right?” the Phillies need nothing more than a kick in the pants to make this push.

I still see motivation as Gabe’s squad’s biggest issue so I’m choosing to be an idealist and say that Klentak saw this too and saw Bautista as an opportunity to boost morale in the club house.

Don’t give up yet folks….High Hopes.