Rumor Roundup: The Big Bad Bautista Extension

The Blue Jays aren’t keen on Jose Bautista’s high asking price
Edwin Encarnacion isn’t the only Blue Jay looking to finish off his career in Toronto. Jose Bautista threw down the gauntlet earlier this offseason when he announced his terms for a contract that would keep him in royal blue for the next six years. The Jays’ slugger has his sights set on an annual $30 million payout, but is reportedly more open to negotiating the terms of his contract than previously believed.

Just went on #HighHeat on @MLBNetwork as said on show Jose Bautista wants deal into 40s and sees self as 30M-plus player

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 9, 2016

The hitch in that foolproof plan comes from Blue Jays management, who might be willing to offer the 35-year-old something closer to the three-year, $75 million deal Yoenis Cespedes inked with the Mets in January. It’s worth remembering, however, that Cespedes’ new contract came with an opt-out clause that might not appeal to the aging Bautista. If the Blue Jays have a shorter deal in mind, there’s little reason to believe that they won’t shut the door on a mammoth extension, though they have yet to lay out the exact terms of their counteroffer.

Peering into the swirling depths of long-term PECOTA projections, Bautista’s WARP could slope from 4.6 in 2016 to 1.8 by 2021, with a .291 TAv to bolster his place in the lineup. If healthy, he should spend the twilight years of his career as a solid contributor for the Jays, albeit not at the superstar levels he’s maintained for the past six seasons. It’s difficult to imagine a world where Bautista’s bat isn’t front and center in a major-league lineup, but at $30 million a year, he might have trouble securing the long-term extension he wants.

The Mets are in the market for a new backup catcher
Travis d’Arnaud still has the starting gig, but according to Adam Rubin, the Mets are getting ready to move primary alternative backstop Kevin Plawecki back down to Triple-A. Unlike fellow backup candidate Johnny Monell, the Mets appear to be satisfied with Plawecki’s spring performance, but are continuing to look for ways to transition the 25-year-old into a full-time performer, especially if d’Arnaud sees more time on the disabled list in 2016. While it’s clear that Plawecki has the chops to fill in for d’Arnaud again, he’ll be kept waiting in the wings with 2-3 starts a week if left in a major-league role. There’s no question that the Mets would prefer to season Plawecki’s skills on a minor-league stage until they can give him a bigger workload elsewhere, but they currently lack the internal options to fill his place behind the plate.

Although manager Terry Collins wouldn’t confirm Plawecki’s demotion, it appears the Mets have already made up their minds. Plawecki's .219/.280/.296 batting line and .241 True Average in 2015 dulled in comparison to d’Arnaud’s .268/.340/.485 performance and .312 TAv across relatively similar playing time. Being stuck in a backup role behind an offensive threat like d’Arnaud won’t give Plawecki much room to improve his game, which he’ll need to do if he wants to earn a platoon position.

One thing’s for sure: The Mets are not prepared to hand the backup job to 29-year-old catcher Johnny Monell at the big-league level, so if Plawecki starts the season in Triple-A Las Vegas, the club will search for a backstop outside their roster. This, too, poses a problem, as spring training games are halfway over and the Mets might not find a significant upgrade to break camp with at the end of the month. Until they do, Plawecki might be of more use to them in New York.

Alejandro De Aza is taking calls from six teams
While Terry Collins shops for a bargain-priced backstop, six major-league teams have expressed interest in Mets outfielder Alejandro De Aza. Ever since Yoenis Cespedes came running back into the Mets’ arms, De Aza, who was acquired over the offseason as a platoon option with center fielder Juan Lagares, has been relegated to fifth-best among the team’s passel of starting outfielders.

It’s not a bad problem to have, but one that the Mets insist on making difficult for themselves. Their only stipulation is that De Aza’s new club absorbs all $5.75 million of his remaining contract, a hefty bite for those who aren’t looking to add an everyday outfielder to their ranks this close to the season. To complicate matters further, any trade offer made before June 15th would have to meet De Aza’s approval.

Rubin didn’t reveal which clubs are willing to pursue De Aza, but there are several potential landing spots for the 31-year-old. Last month, the Rangers were eyeing the outfielder as a potential option to cover for a rehabbing Josh Hamilton in left field, though their recent acquisition of Ian Desmond may put the kibosh on that front. The Cardinals are currently preoccupied with their search for a replacement shortstop, but they could benefit from another center field option as well, especially one that can expand their ranks of left-handed hitters. Perhaps the most attractive trade candidate is the Indians, who are trying to salvage an offseason of suspensions and injuries and will have to rely heavily on platoons if they can’t net another viable starter. After missing out on Austin Jackson, the Indians might want to bite the bullet and bolster their outfield before they’re forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

De Aza bounced around the league in 2015, offering platoon options to the Orioles, Red Sox, and Giants before landing with the Mets in December. Offensively, he provided a little pop in the lineup for Boston and San Francisco, putting up respective TAvs of .298 in 178 plate appearances and .285 TAv in 75 PA. With a projected 0.4 WARP and .257 TAv in 2016, his bat still offers more of a pull than his glove, even if he’s not quite the blunderbuss in center field that he used to be just a few seasons ago. His price tag might be a little high this late in the offseason, but the pool of affordable outfielders is growing smaller every day.