Professional career Minor league career Florida Marlins organization The Florida Marlins signed Bautista on June 21, 2000, and assigned him to the Gulf Coast Marlins, their rookie-level minor league affiliate. He started 11 games for the Marlins, posting a 6–2 win–loss record with an earned run average (ERA) of 2.43 and 17 walks. He was tied for second in the league in wins (along with six other pitchers behind Jeff Randazzo's seven), second in the league in ERA (behind Yoel Hernández's 1.35), tied for second with 58 strikeouts (along with Randazzo behind Manuel Esquivia's 77), third in the league with 63 innings pitched (behind Randazzo's and Esquivia's ), and tied for second in the league in complete games with two (tied with Hernández behind Randazzo's three). He also appeared in one game for the Single-A short season Utica Blue Sox of the New York–Penn League that year. He split 2001 between Utica and the Single-A Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League, going a combined 6–2 with an ERA of 3.23, 51 strikeouts, 20 walks, and innings pitched in 15 games (14 starts). In the playoffs, he pitched a shutout for the Cougars, allowing just one hit, striking out eight, and helping the Cougars win their first Midwest League title. After the 2001 season, Baseball America ranked Bautista the third-best prospect in the Marlins' organization. The following April, a USA Today article said that Bautista had similar career potential to Pedro Martínez, noting that Bautista's fastball had become about 10 mph faster during his time in the minor leagues. In 2002, he pitched with the Single-A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League, where he went 4–6 with an ERA of 4.99, 79 strikeouts, 40 walks, and innings pitched in 19 games (15 starts). He recovered in 2003, making 25 starts between the Hammerheads and the Double-A Carolina Mudcats of the Southern League. He finished the year with a 12–9 win–loss record, an improved ERA of 3.41, 138 strikeouts, and 70 walks in innings pitched. Major League career Baltimore Orioles On August 31, 2003 the Marlins traded Bautista and fellow minor leaguer Don Levinski to the Baltimore Orioles for veteran Jeff Conine. Before the 2004 season, Baseball America ranked him the Orioles' fifth-best prospect. The Orioles assigned Bautista to the Double-A Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League, where he went 3–5 with a 4.74 ERA, 72 strikeouts, 33 walks,