Bautista: Jays need pitchers

To buy or to sell, that is the question. The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves playing .500 baseball (43-43) half way through the season, despite suffering multiple injuries out of the starting rotation and bullpen. Sitting just 2.5 games back from a wild-card berth, the Jays need to decide whether to buy or to sell.

Two-time reigning home run champion Jose Bautista has the answer to the Jays' quandary, more pitchers. "I know it's wishful thinking," Bautista told the Toronto Sun regarding adding three pitchers. "Maybe we can add one and win. Maybe people like Brett Cecil and other guys take advantage of the opportunity. Given an opportunity in crucial situations brings out the best sometimes."

Fresh off of a runner-up performance to Prince Fielder in the Home Run Derby, Bautista recognized that pitching is the biggest issue general manager Alex Anthopoulos needs to address, but also that acquiring quality pitchers can prove costly.

"If we're better on the pitching side that's probably going to make our club come together and win more, because we've managed to play .500 with the problems we've had to deal with," Bautista said. "I'd probably be his [Anthopoulos] biggest trading chip. I don't think he wants to do that because we're competitive."

Anthopoulos will likely be hesitant to make any serious moves that could handcuff the team's future, but with a playoff spot within their reach, it will be hard not to be competitive buyers heading into the July 31 trade deadline.

"Being so close to the second wild card has changed his [Anthopoulos] mentality a little bit," Bautista said. "This year he knows we're in striking distance, our offence is clicking and our defence is playing well."