Jose Bautista optioned to minors

I wouldn't have guessed that one.  Methinks we have one unhappy ballplayer on our hands.  

First time post, coming all the way from Florence, SC but fresh outta Greensburg.  Great job DK!  Frankly, I don't really get why the PBC are so down on Bautista.  I agree with a lot of new management's moves, but it seems that at the very least JB would make an above-average utility guy.  He hasn't shown he can hit for average yet, but has shown a flashy glove and a little pop at the plate.  If he was ever given the chance to play every day....?

Haven't seen him on the field much lately - Odd with Sanchez, Wilson, and LaRoche(s) hurt...

Didn't see this one coming.  I was sure it was going to be Gomez who was released.  We'll see Jose in two weeks.

Where is he going to play there?  

I may have missed the bullseye by predicting a trade, but optioning Jose smells an awful lot like we tried to sneak someone through waivers unsuccessfully. Didn't management describe Bautista as a sort of super-sub who can play so many positions? If that's really how they feel, why isn't he more valuable than some other bench player? Why demote him unless it's because he has options left and thus we can avoid losing someone for free (waivers)? Why not option him yesterday and bring up Adam for Wednesday's game? Since the waiver process is secret, we'll never know.

A scenario like this is understandable and I have no real problem with it, if that's what happened. But when moves smack of smoke and mirrors, credibility is called into question. Credibility could be really important commodity Saturday morning if, for any reason, Alvarez is not signed.

From Webster:

Hapless

Hap"less\, a. Without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy; as, hapless youth; hapless maid. --Dryden.

Bautista is caught in a numbers game right now. He obviously had an option left.

Pirates management has pretty much said that Moss, Andy LaRoche and Steve Pearce are going to be getting a lot of playing time between now and the end of the season. Alternatives would have been to DFA Rivas or Gomez, but with the current health of Jack and Freddy, those moves probably weren't going to happen. I'm sure he will be back at the end of Indy's season, if not before. I still think that we have a trade coming somewhere shortly down the road.

I will say that I expect Bautista to be non-tendered after the season, but that the Pirates would probably like to keep him in the system if at all possible.

I'm not upset with this option at all I was never impressed with Bautista.  He has never hit for an average and struggled with men in scoring position i would much rather have Dougie up here for utility reasons.  Remember we are trying to build for the future and Bautista was never part of that equation.  I like the move

Why does every player say they didn't get a fair chance? The third base job was hande to him and he could not hold it. He got a fair chance and he blew it.

Jose felt like he didn't get a fair chance?  How many years does he get?  He's a good guy, but come on... he's not a starting 3B on any major league team.

This could be a way of trying to hide Bautista.  I wish we knew if he was put through waivers yet.  I could see Tamps or Boston using him with their latest injuries.   Boston could use Jack too and move Lowrie to third.  Bautista has had a fair chance.  He has proven he is not an everyday player.   If he could get 250-350 ab's a year in the super utility spot, he could be a key component on a contender.  I can't help but wonder why he wasn't tried at second some with Sanchez being out.

I'm not so sure about this move.  

Bautista is not the second coming of Bill Madlock, but he is a guy who I thought would be a quality bench player for the Pirates in the future.  He can play 3B and all three OF positions, has some power, and hits lefties.

Releasing Gomez would've been a better move than this one, which is rather dismissive to a player who has been a fringy starter at 3B.

Funny, Jose Bautista gets sent down to AAA the same day that Jose Castillo gets DFA'd by the Giants. Weren't these two supposed to be our future at 2nd base and 3rd base at one time?

Bautista had his fair share of chances to nail down the 3rd base job and he didn't do it.  He is a fair player, but he isn't everyday material, as he has more then proven that.  Yeah it was a bit unfair how he got just pushed aside when the second of the Flying LaRoche brothers came, but its not like he gave manangement a tough decision.

I agree that Gomez would have been the better move on this one.  Baustista has definitely had some issues the past couple of years, but I think he has better potential were he to be given an opportunity to play every day.  I agree with DK in the Q&A regarding if JB had been brought up in a different system, he may have had more focus on becoming an awesome utility player.  Perhaps mistakes were made in his development over the past couple years?  Just a thought...

jose seems like a great guy- 110 percent thing, but at some point you just have to say he hasn't done it and is not the future. he seemed to me to be the third baseman most of the year, but you don't see much of a top side anymore; at best the utility guy, but manky seems to have that sewn up. I wish him well, but at some point we need to get along.

I am happy with the moves, even in losing xman, bay, and hiding bautista. snell and gorzo have competition, we will have the new little and littler poison experiment in the larouches, and everyone knows to play it out everyday.