Toronto Blue Jays: 5 Storylines to Follow in September

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Aug 25, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Jose Bautista (19) hits a sacrifice RBI against Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Potentially Josh Bautista‘s last hurrah in Toronto

One of the main issues with Bautista’s (apparent) request for a five-year extension to remain in Toronto past this season, is his age. Yes, he’s fitter than most players his age — and arguably a lot of professional athletes who are younger than him — but it doesn’t change the fact he turns 36 in October.

In that respect, the six-time All-Star couldn’t have picked a worse campaign to suffer ongoing injury issues. As a result, he is on course for his worst statistical season, since he first became a regular player for the Blue Jays in 2009.

Of course, no one’s denying Bautista can turn it on for the final month of the regular season and (hopefully) a long postseason run. However, it now becomes a question of if this will prove to be his last hurrah in Toronto, with repeated speculation suggesting Rogers will only have the money to re-sign him or Encarnacion.

Assuming this is the owners’ stance ~~(and if it is, it’s a crock),~~ the three-time Silver Slugger will be the first to acknowledge his teammate has performed better this year. Whether the end is near or not in Toronto, fans can only hope he steps up his game, and leaves them with more memories between now and the end of the season.

Next: Looking for a repeat of 2015

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