Atlanta Braves Jose Bautista Will Start Everyday at Third for Braves
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves have signed Jose Bautista and have announced he will be the starting third baseman. Bautista is expected to join the team as soon as he heats up in Triple-A.
Signing Jose Bautista was one of the most surprising moves the Atlanta Braves have made. Bautista was long thought to be out of the Braves plans. Preston Tucker and Ryan Flaherty have both looked good early and seemed to claim their roles.
Signing Bautista was a sign, one that points to the fact the Braves don’t trust Ryan Flaherty. Understandable considering his .215 career average compared to a .250 career mark from Jose Bautista.
Bautista has been announced as the starter at third base for the Braves when he is called up. He is expected to be called up quickly spending only enough time in Triple-A to get his swing back.
Starting Jose at third base is a questionable decision but adding his bat to the lineup isn’t. He is one of the best power hitters we have seen in the last ten years and will bring needed thump to the lineup.
Looking at the current lineup construction it seems likely that he will be given a chance at protecting Freddie Freeman. Hitting cleanup and shifting Markakis down to 5th makes the lineup deeper.
Bautista has hit a career 331 homers and at thirty-seven years old it is fair to question how much he has left in the tank. Only Bautista will be able to answer that question, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him bounce back.
Another concern is the fact that he struck out 170 times last season a number that is hard to stomach. For a team who stresses putting the ball in play, Bautista must find a way to limit his strikeouts if he wants to keep the job as a starte r.