\n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","thumbnail_url":null,"type":"oembed","width":550,"contentType":"rich"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"While it's hard to believe that Bautista would be successful -- he's 39 years old and didn't play in the Majors last season -- we've learned better than to bet against him. After all, he was passed among four different teams as a Rule 5 player in 2004, then spent five years as a below-average utility man before transforming himself into one of the game's most fearsome sluggers. If he says he's a pitcher now, well, maybe he's a pitcher.","type":"text"}],"relativeSiteUrl":"/news/jose-bautista-throws-slider-for-marcus-stroman","contentType":"news","subHeadline":"He's done everything else","summary":"Rick Ankiel and Adam Loewen made the switch from the mound to the batter's box. Shohei Ohtani and Brendan McKay are making a go of it as two-way players. But perhaps the most shocking position switch of all comes in the form of José Bautista.\nYes, that's right: Joey Bats,","tagline({\"formatString\":\"none\"})":null,"tags":[{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"season-2020","title":"Season 2020","type":"season"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"storytype-article","title":"Article","type":"article"},{"__typename":"ContributorTag","slug":"michael-clair","title":"Michael Clair","type":"contributor"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"offbeat","title":"offbeat","type":"taxonomy"}],"type":"story","thumbnail":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/gnimgfau0twhvsxghok7","title":"José Bautista throws slider for Marcus Stroman"}}}}
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Rick Ankiel and Adam Loewen made the switch from the mound to the batter's box. Shohei Ohtani and Brendan McKay are making a go of it as two-way players. But perhaps the most shocking position switch of all comes in the form of José Bautista.
Yes, that's right: Joey Bats, he of the greatest bat flip since time immemorial, is looking to transform himself into a pitcher. With Marcus Stroman filming, Bautista -- dressed like every bro come summer time -- showed off his slider. It impressed his former Blue Jays teammate:
Since y’all thought I wasn’t being serious when I said it the first time...my bro @JoeyBats19 could EASILY pitch in a big league bullpen. Easily. Sinker, slider, and changeup are MLB ready! pic.twitter.com/L533VFKp2e
While it's hard to believe that Bautista would be successful -- he's 39 years old and didn't play in the Majors last season -- we've learned better than to bet against him. After all, he was passed among four different teams as a Rule 5 player in 2004, then spent five years as a below-average utility man before transforming himself into one of the game's most fearsome sluggers. If he says he's a pitcher now, well, maybe he's a pitcher.