Report: Jose Bautista’s agent says free agent has fixed his swing

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro says with such great fan support, they feel an obligation to field a contending, competitive team, but without them, they would’ve hit the reset button over a year ago.

Sportsnet Staff December 13, 2017, 11:45 AM

The hot stove has been quiet this winter regarding free agent Jose Bautista, and it looks like his camp is trying to change that.

The slugger’s agent, Jay Alou, is telling teams at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., that Bautista has identified the issue that caused him to struggle so mightily this past season, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

Jose Bautista's agent Jay Alou has been trying to spark some interest in his client, feeling the slugger has found the issue with his swing last season.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) December 13, 2017

Bautista, who turned 37 in October, hit 23 home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season, but regressed by several important measures. His batting average (.203), on-base percentage (.308), slugging percentage (.366) and OPS (.674) were the worst he’s produced in any season since 2005.

The Blue Jays declined their end of Bautista’s $17-million mutual option for 2018, rendering him a free agent after an iconic 10-year stint with the team.

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