default-cbs-image

So far this offseason things have been surprisingly quiet around free agent Jose Bautista, one of the game's top sluggers over the last 7-8 years. He's been involved in very few rumors thus far.

Bautista's age (36) and the qualifying offer are working against him, ditto the fact there are only so many DH jobs to go around. His defense has slipped in recent years and teams probably don't view him as a 140-plus games a year player in right field anymore.

At one point during the Winter Meetings Bautista's agent reached out to the Orioles, a team with a DH opening, to see if they'd have interest in signing his client. O's GM Dan Duquette gave a brutally honest response:

Ouch! I'm guessing a lot of fan bases don't like Bautista -- that's what happens when he's been bat flipping against teams for nearly a decade -- but you know what? They'd love him if he were mashing dingers in their uniform. Still though, that had to be hard to hear.

usatsi9619047.jpg
Ouch, my pride. USATSI

On the other side of the coin, maybe letting fan reaction dictate roster moves isn't such a great idea for the Orioles? Making unpopular decisions that improve the team -- Bautista would undoubtedly improve the O's from their current situation -- comes with the territory.

To paraphrase Yankees GM Brian Cashman, if you start making decisions based on the fans, you'll end up sitting with them before long.