Bautista, who could become a free agent at season’s end, said he felt he has outperformed the five-year, $65-million contract he signed after his breakout season in 2010.
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Bautista met with reporters after arriving at spring training in Dunedin, Fla., and said he had a recent meeting with team brass in Toronto. In the process, Bautista lead the Jays’ to an AL East title and his first playoff appearance in his twelve-year career. Bautista’s contract expires at the conclusion of the 2016 season and the 35-year old slugger would represent one of the best free agent options on the market if he makes it there. “I don’t think there should be any negotiation”.
That’s a question the Blue Jays will have to figure out an answer to, and they better get it right.
There’s a normalcy to being with the Toronto Blue Jays now that’s making Troy Tulowitzki feel more comfortable this spring than he did a year ago following his acquisition from the Colorado Rockies.
The main concern for Bautista’s next contract, would be if he can stay healthy as he gets older and if he will be able to produce at a $30 million/year level. To give just one example, over the past five seasons Bautista has accumulated 26.9 WAR, which made him “worth” somewhere around $161 million. Now, it’s in the Blue Jays’ hands to decide if they want to meet that asking price.
In fact, Bautista said he’s not interested in negotiating at all. I’m not going to sit here and try and bargain for a couple of dollars. However he would not say whether the real number was higher of lower than $150 million, insisting, “I do not want to negotiate through you guys”. First of all, he is in great condition and still highly productive, having hit 75 home runs the last two seasons, not including his dramatic go-ahead home run in the ALDS to help beat the Rangers. Not that Atkins was talking numbers, or really anything of import, beyond expressing his general admiration for the guy.
Atkins said he is not concerned that Bautista’s extension talks will prove a distraction.
“If this is going to happen, they should know what it takes, and I told them the number because they asked me”, Bautista said.
We then discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs recent trades (33:21) and share our thoughts on “what could be”, or “who could be”, coming to the Leafs (36:21). “There’s really nothing I can comment on about them”. Bautista said. “And it’s not just necessarily Ross and Mark”. I’m here for you.
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So if the Blue Jays were already debating before whether they should re-sign Jose Bautista before, now they have to go back to the drawing board and debate bringing him back even further.
