Report: Talks between Bautista, Rangers go nowhere

The bad blood between Jose Bautista and the Texas Rangers still remains.

Despite Bautista's skill set and contract demands being a fit for the club, conversations between the two sides reportedly went nowhere and won't go any further, one source told Jeff Wilson of the Star Telegram.

Bautista's history with the Rangers is well documented. He hit the series-altering home run in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS that was followed by the bat flip. Several months later, Bautista was the recipient of a Rougned Odor punch to the jaw.

The free-agent slugger's market, which was once believed to be robust, is running out of options. The Boston Red Sox informed Bautista's agent that they had no room to add him, while Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette said he wouldn't sign Bautista because the fans view him as a villain and don't like him. The Blue Jays reportedly will only offer less than the $17.2-million qualifying offer he rejected last month.

While some teams are concerned with his perceived attitude, Bautista remains one of the best bats on the free-agent market. The 36-year-old has averaged 36 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .929 OPS over the last seven seasons.