Toronto Blue Jays: No Excuse Not to Step up For Jose Bautista
By Paul Taylor
After everything this has transpired so far during this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays owe it to their fans to re-sign Jose Bautista.
It might be Christmas time, but there are a lot of unhappy Toronto Blue Jays‘ fans in Southern Ontario (and around Canada in general). The main reason for this stems from the dealings of the front office since the end of the 2016 season.
Certainly, when you see one of your best relievers (Brett Cecil) and then arguably the game’s best hitter (Edwin Encarnacion) sign for other teams, this unhappiness is entirely understandable. Yes, the players themselves are part of the reason why they are no longer in Toronto, but the Blue Jays’ front office still has to take (more than?) their fair share of the blame.
We’re not going to rehash why Cecil and — particularly — Encarnacion are no longer members of the Blue Jays’ roster. At this point, there’s nothing that can be done to change what happened.
However, what we can do is offer Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins and company a way to regain at least some good will with the fans. Pure and simple, it’s time to step up and re-sign Jose Bautista.
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The very fact Bautista is still available is somewhat of a Christmas miracle. And according to the player himself, all the Blue Jays need to do is up their current offer to bring him back.
As reported by Yahoo Sports‘ Jeff Passan, the six-time All-Star is willing to accept a one-year deal. All he’s asking is that the Blue Jays — or whoever else is interested — offers him more than the $17.2 million which is currently sitting on the table for him.
That Bautista is willing to now accept a one-year deal is shocking, after he entered free agency with hopes of getting a four or five-year contract. However, teams have been put off by his injury-filled 2016 campaign, which resulted in his worst season since 2009.
Throw in the 36-year old’s age, declining defensive skills and the fact it would cost other organizations a first round draft pick, and the trepidation is understandable. Having said all this, the Blue Jays still have no excuse to re-sign a player who has reportedly admitted he’s turned down other offers, because he wants to return to Toronto.
As things currently project, the starting positions for the outfield will consist of Melvin Upton Junior, Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera. No matter how much Bautista’s defence may be declining, he still presents a better alternative to Upton or Carrera, while offering a superior bat.
In addition, the three-time Silver Slugger could offer some much-needed versatility. Some analysts have talked about him seeing time at DH and first base.
You have to imagine upping their offer to — for example — $20 million, will be more than enough for the Blue Jays to re-sign Bautista. At that point, you will be getting a supremely motivated player, looking to prove to the league that last season was a temporary blip.
Overall, Shapiro, Atkins and company will arguably never be fully accepted or appreciated in Toronto. However, they still have the opportunity to improve their image — let’s see if they have the common sense to take advantage of it.
Next: Jose Bautista wants to return to Toronto
How eager are you to see Bautista return to Toronto for the 2017 season? Further, what’s your take on how the Blue Jays have handled the offseason up to this point? Share your thoughts in the comments section.