The direction of the Toronto Blue Jays was unclear when superstar Edwin Encarnacion signed with the Cleveland Indians and it appeared Jose Bautista‘s days in Toronto were over.
To the surprise of many, Bautista and the Blue Jays agreed on a one-year deal, but general manager Ross Atkins says that Bautista was always on the team’s radar.
“Jose was a clear target for us,” Atkins said at Bautista’s introductory press conference, making it clear that there was always mutual interest between the parties and Bautista was heavily involved in the negotiation process.
“It was clear from day one, it was clear from last year he wanted to stay,” Atkins said. “He said it and he meant it.”
Bringing back Bautista is an indication that the Blue Jays are committed to chasing another playoff appearance.
“A rebuild is not on our horizon,” Atkins said, adding that the team wants to maximize how much they can win now while continuing to build upon the farm system, but they are “absolutely” going for it.
Bautista is coming off a down season in 2016, where he was on the disabled list twice and played through some nagging injuries. According to the general manager, Bautista is in great health heading into spring training.
“The physical with him was similar to earlier in his career,” Atkins said. “He’s had a complete recovery from those injuries and we have a lot of confidence he is in very good position physically.”
Bautista was vocal about his desire to stay in Toronto, and reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to re-sign with the Blue Jays. The two parties agreed on a one-year deal worth $18 million with a $17 million mutual option for 2018 and a $500K buy-out, as well as a $20 million vesting option in 2020.