default-cbs-image

All things considered, this has been a relatively quiet offseason for Jose Bautista. He hasn't been involved in a ton of rumors, mostly because the market is flooded with DH slugger types, most notably former Blue Jays teammate Edwin Encarnacion.

Now that Encarnacion has hooked on with the Indians, Bautista's market appears to be heating up, albeit slightly. The latest has him and the Blue Jays in "active" contract talks.

As of last week the Blue Jays had not made Bautista a formal contract offer, and it's unclear if that is still the case. Really though, that's not a big deal. It just means they haven't put a piece of paper in front of him to sign. The Blue Jays and Bautista are talking and that's most important.

All things considered, Bautista re-signing with the Blue Jays is best for both parties. Bautista gets to go back to Toronto, where he's a fan favorite and one of the most important players in franchise history. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, would retain his power bat and improve a weak outfield unit that currently includes Kevin Pillar, Melvin Upton, and Ezequiel Carrera.

usatsi9604076.jpg
Will Jose Bautista end up back with the Blue Jays? USATSI

If a deal gets done -- and just to be clear, a reunion between Bautista and the Blue Jays is not imminent as far as we know -- Toronto's lineup could look something like this:

  1. 2B Devon Travis
  2. 3B Josh Donaldson
  3. RF Jose Bautista
  4. DH Kendrys Morales
  5. SS Troy Tulowitzki
  6. C Russell Martin
  7. 1B Justin Smoak/Steve Pearce
  8. LF Melvin Upton/Ezequiel Carrera
  9. CF Kevin Pillar

That lineup is very right-handed heavy -- Morales and Smoak are switch-hitters, and Carrera is a lefty, otherwise it's all righties -- but guys like Donaldson and Bautista and Tulowitzki are productive against all types of pitching, so it shouldn't be a huge problem.

The Blue Jays won't have to surrender a first-round pick to re-sign Bautista, which is part of the reason why this makes sense. Bautista may have a tough time finding a club willing to surrender their top pick to sign him. Also, Bautista's marquee value is far greater to the Blue Jays than it is elsewhere. He's not exactly the most popular player with fans around the league.

The number of clubs with an opening for a player like Bautista is fairly limited, and there is no shortage or big power bats on the market. Mark Trumbo, Chris Carter, and Pedro Alvarez all remain unsigned as well. A reunion between the Blue Jays and Bautista makes too much sense not to happen.