By Jordan Long
The Toronto Blue Jays re-signed outfielder Jose Bautista. The contract will pay him $18 million this year. It also includes an option for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. What kind of move is this for the Blue Jays?
Bautista is one of Toronto’s best hitters. Last season he hit .234 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI’s, helping the Blue Jays win 89 games. They were the second Wild Card team in the American League. They knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Game. In the Division Series they beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 before falling to the Cleveland Indians 4-1. In the playoffs Bautista hit .182 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI’s.
At the end of the season, Bautista declined a $17.2 million qualifying offer and became a free agent. The Blue Jays let him test the free agent market. Bautista didn’t receive any deals on the open market he thought were worthwhile. This week he decided it was best to stay with the Blue Jays.
Bautista will be a force in the Blue Jays lineup. He can get on base, drive runners in, and hit the long ball. In his career Bautista is a .255 hitter with 308 home runs and 862 RBI’s.
Not only is Bautista an excellent hitter, he is one of the top outfielders in Major League Baseball. He rarely drops the ball when a fly ball is coming to him. Bautista had two errors all of last season. Runners can’t run on him because he will throw them out when they try to advance. Last season Bautista recorded 5 outfield assists.
The Blue Jays are in decent shape, not only to go back to the playoffs, but to win the American League East. They have proven they can go far in the playoffs. With Bautista back in a Blue Jay’s uniform this could be their year to advance to the World Series.
What do you think of the Blue Jays keeping Jose Bautista?
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