Blue Jays’ Bautista calls contract demand ‘false’

About two weeks ago, Blue Jay executives asked Bautista to give them “a number” on what it would take to bring the slugger back to Toronto, perhaps for the rest of his career.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista stretches his arms as he walks up the field in the first official spring training baseball workout in Dunedin, Fla., Monday Feb. 22, 2016. I did outplay that contract, and it did come out to be as if the team got a huge hometown discount.

Bautista took it a step further, saying that he told the Blue Jays what he wanted in a new contract and that it was basically a take-it-or-leave-it offer.

“The stakes are so high for us personally as a team and what’s at stake for him as a free agent so it might be his best year ever”, he said.

“Phillips, though, I don’t get. I’ve given this organization a 5-year hometown discount already”. No other sport so successfully integrates emotional drama with rational calculation – and this is true even in spring training, where Mr. Bautista has made it clear he’s expecting a huge pay rise from his employers at Rogers Communications.

It’s not yet known what the 35-year-old Bautista asked for.

“I don’t think there should be any negotiations”. As a result, Bautista believes his demands should be met.

Pujols had his first 40-homer season since 2010 previous year but hit only. “There’s a lot of trade rumours, there’s a lot of trade discussions; we have them constantly”.

“I know it’s a big gamble giving a contract to a 35-year-old but Jose Bautista is a guy I’d bet on”.

From the Jays’ perspective, they could have signed a short-term deal, not trusting his short track record of success, and explored a more fair deal after say two to three seasons.

On Monday, it appeared Toronto was close to adding Jay Bruce via a three-team trade in exchange for Michael Saunders, who played just nine games last season due to injuries. “I woke up itching and I’m just looking around and I’m like, “Are you serious right now?”

“I love being around the guy”, Atkins said.

“I’m not going to sit here and bargain for a couple of dollars”.

As Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said: “It’s an honor playing next to him”. He signed a five-year, $65 million extension with the team in 2011 and the Blue Jays exercised the $14 million team option for 2016 last November. We can only speculate what the number he presented to the Jays was, but – considering the current market – it’s not unreasonable to think that the right-fielder and his reps might be asking for an annual salary of $20 million or more, perhaps over four or five seasons.

“I’m not complaining and I’m not whining about it. I know what I signed and I never complained about it once”.