Atlanta Braves Should Move on From Veteran Jose Bautista
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves have seen enough of Jose Bautista to know the veteran has little to nothing left in the tank. It is time to move on from Jose Bautista with Austin Riley waiting in the wings.
Bringing in Jose Bautista was an exciting move for the Atlanta Braves. Bautista is one of the great power hitters of the last decade. Those days appear to be over, however, and his defense at third base has been questionable.
Watching Bautista through the first few games of the season there has been very little to like. He was brought to the team to bring power to the lineup. He has only hit one ball out of the park and has hit for a .160 average.
Some of the struggles that Bautista has faced are due to rust. The rest is due to the fact he is a strikeout-prone aging slugger.
It is time to call an end to the Jose Bautista experiment. Moving Bautista to the bench until Austin Riley has a bit more time in the minor leagues is the right move to make.
Jose Bautista could be traded if he proves he can pinch hit effectively. If not the Braves have limited money tied up in Bautista and shouldn’t hesitate to cut ties.
Austin Riley is lighting up Triple-A pitching in his first week and there is little doubt he will begin to take over this season.
Riley is the future at third base for the Braves. Ryan Flaherty has proven himself more than capable of taking over third base. He is enjoying a good season at the plate and is an above average defender.
Putting his bat back in the lineup every day until Riley is ready is the move for the Braves to make. Jose Bautista isn’t the answer at third base. It is time to move on from the veteran and get ready for yet another exciting young position player in Austin Riley.