Fans are very quick to hold grudges against athletes whom they probably will never meet. Orioles GM Dan Duquette held nothing back as he stated the reasons why the Orioles are not interested in Jose Bautista.
The winter meetings are fully underway and some teams are still showing up with poker faces when it comes to these players’ futures. One team is standing out and they are the Orioles. The Orioles could use Jose Bautista’s power in both the lineup and the field but don’t tell that to GM Dan Duquette. They’re simply not interested.
Duquette: "We told (Bautista's) agent that we are not interested because our fans don't like him." #Bluejays #Jays #Orioles
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) December 7, 2016
Duquette: "Our fans don't like Jose Bautista – with good reason." #Bluejays #Jays #Orioles @JoeyBats19
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) December 7, 2016
Duquette: " "Of course, that may change (if the price comes down). But the QO makes things difficult." #Bluejays #Jays #Orioles @JoeyBats19
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) December 7, 2016
Duquette had a video interview in which he further explained and it’s pretty clear that this isn’t about money, it’s personal.
“That’s true,” Duquette told The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck in a video interview Wednesday morning. “That’s true. The agent called and I said, ‘Really? Jose is a villain in Baltimore and I’m not going to go tell our fans that we’re courting Jose Bautista for the Orioles because they’re not going to be happy.’”
Is Jose Bautista the Kobe of the baseball world? That may be the case. The 2016 season wasn’t quite the season that Bautista had hoped for but this free agency, he may get some offers. Keep in mind that he is 36. At most, he might get a 1-2 year contract.