After spending a season in Japan, Tony Batista has signed a 1-year deal with the Twins. Specific terms of the deal are yet to be released.
At 32, is Batista still young enough to do some damage in the MLB? With the Fufuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan, he hit .263 with 27 homers, 90 RBI and 78 runs in 135 games. Last in the majors in 2004 with Montreal, Batista stole 14 bases, hit .241 with 32 homers and 110 RBI.
While he does bring power, Batista's career OBP is a mere .298. While his career average is .251, his career OPS is a respectable .756, mostly due to his decent power numbers. He's topped 30 homers three times in his career (2000, 41; 2002, 36; 2004, 32).
Am I excited about this acquisition? Not really. But it's a step in the right direction, and I'm certainly warily optimistic. I'm just hoping we're not done yet...