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José Bautista’s Desire to Stay in Toronto Means Nothing

By Andrew Bottomley

Oct 8, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) interviewed by the media before game one of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) interviewed by the media before game one of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Blue Jays perennial all-star, slugger, Jose Bautista has expressed his desire to remain a Jay for life — and it means nothing.

In the midst of a two-year, $29 million, arbitration-avoiding deal with Josh Donaldson, the attention now shifts to resigning long-time Toronto Blue Jays fan favourites José Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.

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In an interview with the Canadian Press, Bautista was asked about the idea of finishing his career with Toronto. “It would be an honour if I had the opportunity to do so,” he said.

Slow down Jays’ fans, don’t get too excited. This was the only possible answer he could have given. Bautista saying yes to that question is like saying no to your wife when she asks if that dress makes her look fat – it is your only choice and it is not necessarily the truth.

If Bautista had answered in any other way, he would be at the mercy of a fan base still recovering from the losses of Cy Young Award winner David Price and general manager Alex Anthopoulos. He still has a year to play for the Jays, and he recognizes that this team has the ability to achieve as much as they did last year, and maybe even more. He is not going to risk tainting that by indicating in any way that he does not want to be here.

However, it is not the only reason he said his comments. He said them for a very logical reason: as a bargaining chip for upcoming contract negotiations.

Toronto Blue Jays
Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista hits a RBI double against the Texas Rangers in the third inning in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /

In 2010, Bautista had a breakout season launching a league-leading 54 home runs, the most since Alex Rodriguez did in 2007. Since 2000, only three other players hit at least 54 home runs: Rodriguez did it twice while Barry Bonds and Ryan Howard each did it once. (On a side note, both Rodriguez and Bonds were caught using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), and more recently Howard has been reportedly linked to PEDs.)

After the 2010 season, Bautista earned himself a contract extension that lasts until the end of this upcoming season. The contract was for five years at $64 million. The $64 million is considered to be a very team-friendly contract.

How team-friendly?

In comparison, a couple of months before Bautista signed his extension, Jayson Werth was signed as a free agent to the Washington Nationals. His contract was for a whopping $126 million over seven years. On average, Werth’s contract was for $18 million per year and Bautista’s was for $12.8 million per year.

Both players play outfield, and both are in the same age range: Werth is 36 and Bautista is 35. Werth launched 95 home runs in 543 games between 2007-2010. Bautista hit 97 in 544 games over the same time period. Werth scored 279 runs batted in (RBI) during those years and Bautista had 281 RBIs.

So why did Werth get $62 million more?

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    • He was more consistent over the four years prior to his deal. The lowest his batting average was .268 and he hit over .290 twice. Bautista’s highest average was .260 and that occurred in his breakout 2010. Outside of that season, the most home runs he hit in one year was 16 in 2006. Werth showed that he could perform from season to season while Bautista’s contract was based on one extremely productive year.

    As it turns out, Bautista continued his dominant play, hitting the most home runs in 2011 again with 43. The Jays got a ton of value out of the five-year extension. However, that contract expires at the end of the season and he wants to get paid.

    Considering the value that the Blue Jays got out of Bautista during his latest contract, he deserves to get paid. Now that he has expressed a desire to remain a Jay for the rest of his career, coupled with his recent playoff success, including the heroic, bat-flipping, game-winning, series-clinching home run, Jays fans want him to be in Toronto until the end.

    Toronto Blue Jays
    Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) reacts after hitting a three run home run during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

    Bautista knows that his comments further cemented the fans on his side. If Mark Shapiro (president) and Ross Atkins (general manager) fail to re-sign the Blue Jay hero who wants to stay on the team for the rest of his career, they will be even more vilified than they already are for adding Bautista to the list of lost assets including Price and Anthopoulos.

    Now hold on. Put your pitchforks down for a second. I’m not saying that Bautista does not want to be a Jay for the rest of his career and that he just used the media to manipulate contract negotiations. For all anyone knows, he wants to stay in Toronto. Heck, he probably does – this was the team that gave him his chance and where he has experienced all his success.

    All I am saying is that by expressing interest in staying a Blue Jay, Bautista ensured that he would not appear to be the bad guy if he ended up going to another team. If the Jays fail to re-sign him, it is the front office who will be deemed responsible and shoulder the blame.

    Next: Toronto Blue Jays Sign Josh Donaldson to Two Year Deal

    Jays’ fans, don’t listen to Bautista’s comments and think more than what it is. It means nothing in the end. Don’t think that because he said he wants to be a Blue Jay for life that it is going to happen. Don’t take it to heart. He is at least going to be on the team for the next year and we will see what happens after that.

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