Blue Jays ive Jose Bautista 5 year extension

[Little Slide Rooter]

Blue Jays Close To Extension With Jose Bautista

By Mike Axisa [February 16 at 7:44pm CST]

7:44pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the contract would also include a sixth year club option that could push the total value of the deal to $78MM (Twitter link).

 

7:05pm: The Blue Jays and Jose Bautista are close to agreeing to a five-year contract extension worth appoximately $65MM, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. The deal would also include financial support for Bautista's charitable activities in Toronto and the Dominican Republic. Some details still need to be worked out and a physical must take place before the contract is finalized.

 

As our Arbitration Tracker shows, Bautista filed for $10.5MM his final time through arbitration, the team $7.6MM. A five-year contract would buy out his final year of arbitration plus four free agent years. The two sides asked to have their arbitration hearing pushed back earlier this week, and indication that they were closing in on deal.

 

Bautista, 30, is coming off a historic 2010 season in which he hit 54 homers, the 19th highest single-season total in history. He also drew 100 walks, so his prodigous power output was backed up by a .378 OBP. Of course that was the first time Bautista performed at a star level. He'd hit just .238/.329/.400 with 59 homers in over 2,000 career plate appearances coming into 2010, so the Jays are clearly expecting Bautista to repeat last year's performance into his mid-30's.

 

 

Thats a hell of an obligaition for a guy whose had 1 good season. I guess as long as there are teams willing to bail the Blue Jays out of these contracts, they'll never learn.

[mookie]

I don't like it. It certainly won't cripple them, but I don't think it is a wise investment. Oh well, the season is about to start. Lets see how much more magic Bautista has in him.

[17 Seconds]

they miraculously dump vernon's contract and then they go and do this

[Northside Blues]

That's a really bad idea.

[Rob]

I wouldn't have done it, but I see why they did. I'd expect him to end up worth about that contract... but damn if it isn't risky. Or he made a legit adjustment last year and the Blue Jays got a hell of a deal. Who the hell knows?

 

At any rate, the Blue Jays have tons of money to spend. This isn't exactly gonna stop them from being in on Pujols and Fielder.

[StarlinOnYou]

He'd hit just .238/.329/.400 with 59 homers in over 2,000 career plate appearances coming into 2010

 

I just don't see how you can go out and sign this guy to that type of deal. Wow.

[Guest]

I hope they made him pee in a cup before they gave him that deal.

[big_shooter17]

I think that they were concerned about a temperamental fan base. A team like the Blue Jays need someone to market the team around and this is probably the guy. What I don't understand is that they have minimal salary commitments this year, one in which they won't be competing. In two to three years when that team could potentially make a push with young pitching, why would you backload this contract (8,14,14,14,14)? They will still need a couple of pieces plus you know that players like Cecil and Romero among others will be due raises that could limit future spending.

[javy knows my name]

Where was I when this guy was hitting 54 homers?

[UMFan83]

Where was I when this guy was hitting 54 homers?

 

Somewhere ignoring any and all baseball news?

[javy knows my name]

Where was I when this guy was hitting 54 homers?

 

Somewhere ignoring any and all baseball news?

 

Apparently so. I'll admit, I definitely crawled inside myself from about the beginning of August to the end of September

[Northside Blues]

Where was I when this guy was hitting 54 homers?

 

Somewhere ignoring any and all baseball news?

 

Apparently so. I'll admit, I definitely crawled inside myself from about the beginning of August to the end of September

 

He had 31 home runs then. In fact, he led the majors from mid may on.

[javy knows my name]

Where was I when this guy was hitting 54 homers?

 

Somewhere ignoring any and all baseball news?

 

Apparently so. I'll admit, I definitely crawled inside myself from about the beginning of August to the end of September

 

He had 31 home runs then. In fact, he led the majors from mid may on.

 

Oh man, last season I became BBB :(