Going out with a whimper
SUN SETS ON BAUTISTA’S GREAT BLUE JAYS CAREER
The Jose Bautista era is coming to an end in Toronto and Blue Jays fans, far from being sad or upset, are responding with a resounding yawn.
It’s a rather depressing end to what has been a spectacular career with the Jays. And it’s not the way it should have been for a guy who someday will watch his name be unveiled on the Blue Jays Wall of Fame at the Rogers Centre.
Bautista is having what can fairly be described as a horrible season and onceloyal supporters can’t wait to bid him adieu.
Heading into Thursday night’s game in Baltimore, the six-time all-star and twotime MLB home run leader’s batting average is retreating close to the Mendoza Line (.205). His OPS is .687, down from .817 last year and .913 in 2015, though he has hit 20 home runs or more for the eighth straight season and is seventh in the AL in walks (73). He’s also ninth in strikeouts (139). All of which means there is zero chance the Jays are going to pick up Bautista’s $17-million mutual option for 2018. He’s almost certainly finished as a Jay.
Bautista has said he would like to finish his career as a Jay. That won’t happen. But what he can do is finish his career as a Blue Jay on a strong note. You know Bautista wants to keep playing every day, even after the September call-ups arrive.
He takes great pride in being able to go out and give his team a chance to win, even when he’s struggling. Bautista still holds on to the belief that the Jays have a chance ( albeit a long shot) to make the playoffs, and he wants to help the team accomplish that. And when Toronto does officially drop out of contention, he wants to finish the season with a bang for obvious individual reasons.
Certainly any player in Bautista’s position would love the chance to enhance his individual stats so he can get as good a deal possible from some team next season. Bautista’s guaranteed contract with the team he has played for the last nine full seasons ends this year. Next year there is that mutual option deal in place for $17 million. In other words, the Jays can simply cut him loose.
Still, no matter what happens between now and the end of the season, Bautista will be facing a significant pay cut in 2018. He’s 37 in October and probably looking at a deal somewhere between what Mitch Moreland signed with Boston for this season ($5.5 million) and Mike Napoli of the Texas Rangers ($8.5 million).
Napoli has 27 homers with the Rangers this season and is coming off a World Series appearance with Cleveland, (where he had 34 homers during the season), but Bautista has more defensive value in being able to play outfield, third, DH and even first if necessary.
Those attributes would l i kely get Bautista more money than Moreland got this year, despite his dip in offensive production. And it will likely be a one-year deal. Of course, nobody is going to feel sorry for a multimillionaire making between $5 to $8 million to play baseball. But, remember, there was talk in 2016 that Bautista was supposedly looking for a longterm deal in the $150-million range that would end his career in Toronto. How the mighty have fallen.
Realistically, the season is over for the Blue Jays. But if loyalty means anything, they owe it to Bautista to let him play every day.
Imagine the public relations disaster if the Jays start sitting Bautista and he ends his days in Toronto on a sour note, taking shots at the team. Manager John Gibbons has said the call-ups will get some playing time. But he’s also very loyal to his veterans and no doubt he’ll let Bautista play as much as he wants. For his part, Bautista is being diplomatic about his season, and he won’t get into hypothetical or what-if scenarios.
Despite his problems this year, Bautista’s manager is still a big fan.
“He’s been solid, he really has,” said Gibbons.