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Bautista says he’s told Blue Jays what deal he’d agree to
Posted On Feb 22 2016
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Bautista is entering the final year of his deal.
“I think I signed a very lucrative deal that I was compensated very fairly at the time for my production”.
“I think they know and realize the things that I say and agree with me”.
Okay, then. It’s up to Shapiro and Atkins to determine whether they wish to pay someone who will be 36 years old when the new contract would begin that kind of money. I can’t say that, I don’t know.
“Some of that decision making of a contract of this size that I presented has to come from ownership”. There are fewer days when he brings it with the media but, as is the case annually, there are occasions when the legendary Blue Jays’ right fielder commands a gathering of microphones and recorders and delivers a message he’s considered, seemingly, well in advance. It’s not a secret. I think there is a direct correlation with the success of (Rogers) earnings per share after we started experiencing success. The numbers were slight upgrades over Bruce’s 2014 season when he had a.217/.281/.373 slash line with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He signed a five-year-$65 million deal in 2011 and the Blue Jays exercised a $14 million option to retain his services this season.
The Toronto Blue Jays led the Major League Baseball in runs, doubles, home runs and OPS last season, and it looks like they are about to add to their offensive attack. He did get a bit better a year ago, but still slashed.226/.294/.434 with 35 doubles and 26 homers.
Encarnacion’s agent has said his client would cease negotiations once the regular season begins.
“If someone is going to ask me ‘What would it take?, I didn’t want to waste any time”, Bautista explained. “If this is going to happen, they should know what it takes and I told them the number because they asked me”, he told ESPN’s Britt McHenry. Simply questions were asked, I felt like for this process to go down smoothly there didn’t need to be any time wasted and efforts wasted for either party. He said Toronto asked for a number, he offered one and, “They either meet it or it is what it is”.
