The Toronto Blue Jays finally reached a deal with veteran slugger Jose Bautista after a couple of months in free agency. Both sides have agreed to a one-year contract but Bautista was expecting to get a bit more from this year's free agency market.
According to SportsNet Canada, the Jays and Bautista have agreed to a one-year deal worth $18 million. It is just above the $17.2 million qualifying offer the 36-year-old declined at the start of the offseason. Bautista's new deal also has a mutual option after the 2017 MLB season.
However, it is not the contract the six-time All-Star wanted this offseason. He was reportedly looking for a minimum of three years with an annual salary of $20 million. But the free agency market was fairly quiet as fellow sluggers Mark Trumbo and Chris Carter remains unsigned.
Former Blue Jays teammate Edwin Encarnacion was also affected by the market as he turned down a five-year, $100 million deal from Toronto. Encarnacion ended up signing a three-year, $60 million contract with the Cleveland Indians.
Bautista was looking for the last big payday of his career but he ended up just signing a one-year deal. He's now hoping for a bounce back season and try again next winter. However, his age is a big factor in terms of proneness to injuries and decline in production.
It should be noted that Bautista wanted a five-year, $150 million deal at the start of the 2016 MLB season, per Yahoo! Sports. Things just changed in a span of one year when age, injuries and production became a factor. In 116 games last season, Bautista batted .234 with just 22 home runs.
Nevertheless, the deal is expected to be announced later this week. Bautista started his career with the Blue Jays in 2008 when he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Robinzon Diaz. He blossomed into an All-Star in 2010 at the age 29 years old.
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