Braves ink Bautista

ATLANTA — Even with their Ryan Flaherty leading the NL in hitting, the Atlanta Braves couldn’t resist the low-risk opportunity to add Jose Bautista.

The six-time all-star agreed to a minor league contract with the Braves on Wednesday after impressing team officials at a workout, and he will try to earn playing time at third base.

Bautista, 37, would receive a $1-million US, one-year deal if added to the 40-man major league roster. He will report to the Braves’ extended spring training complex in Kissimmee, Florida, to work himself into game condition while playing third base.

“He’s a good player who, if and when he gets here, can lengthen our lineup,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of the former Toronto Blue Jays favourite. “He’s somebody the opposition has got to be aware of because he’s that kind of player.”

Bautista played nine full seasons for the Blue Jays and is one of the most popular players in franchise history. He had 288 home runs and 766 runs batted in over 1,235 regular-season appearances with Toronto while being named an American League all-star six times and a silver slugger twice.

He added six homers and 16 RBIs in 20 playoff games as he helped the Blue Jays make backto-back American League Championship Series appearances in 2015 and 2016. His most iconic homer came during the 2015 AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers, a three-run tiebreaking shot followed by a dramatic bat flip in Game 5 that helped Toronto advance to the ALCS.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was the GM in Toronto during much of Bautista’s run with the Jays, said he had talks with the slugger in the off-season that never gained momentum.

“I just think where we were going to be financially just wasn’t going to make sense for him at the time,” Anthopoulos said.

Even so, Anthopoulos remained interested and said Bautista liked what he had seen of the Braves this season. Anthopoulos said Bautista turned down more money from another team to sign with the Braves.