Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Jose Bautista Signing Contract To Retire With Blue Jays
The slugger has come home.
Long-time Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista will sign a one-day contract on Saturday to officially retire in Toronto. Bautista will also be inducted into the Blue Jays Level of Excellence before Saturday's game against the Cubs.
“José Bautista captured hearts and ignited a fan base as part of the team that brought Toronto back to the postseason for the first time in 22 years. His on-field achievements propelled the team to greatness, and he undoubtedly belongs on the Blue Jays Level of Excellence,” Blue Jays President & CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement.
Bautista played 10 of his 15 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays. In 1235 games he hit 288 homers for Toronto with a .253 batting average and .878 OPS. In his third season with the Jays, the outfielder broke out in a big way, smashing a league-leading 54 homers and finishing fourth in AL MVP voting. He went on to hit over 20 homers in each of the next seven seasons.
Bautista owns the franchise's single-season record for homers and walks and became the first Blue Jay to lead the league in All-Star Game voting in 2011. He sits third in all-time WAR for the Blue Jays franchise, behind Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay.
Bautista left the Jays after the 2017 season and played parts of 2018 with the Braves, Mets, and Phillies. He hasn't officially retired since his final MLB game in '18, though, and will do so after signing a one-day contract with the Blue Jays this weekend.
“I’m sharing this celebration with the fans,” Bautista told the media earlier this week. “This is a celebration of my career and all that I was able to accomplish with the Blue Jays, almost entirely with the Blue Jays.
