Earlier this offseason, Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista said he would not be negotiating a contract extension with the team because he already named his price. He said the front office can take it or leave it. Shortly after, various reports surfaced about the 35-year-old's contractual demands.
Bautista thinks it was the team's ownership that leaked the info, but he didn't express reasons as to why it might have. It was said the veteran wants at least five years and $150 million.
"Jose Bautista is sparring with the media about reports of his contract demands, which he believes to have been leaked by the Rogers ownership to make a [35-year-old] man that was claimed to have wanted five years and $150M and colored as greedy," writes MLB Insider Peter Gammons.
Bautista clarified with Gammons that he actually wants six years, but he did not disclosed a dollar figure.
The biggest contract in the history of the Blue Jays belongs to outfielder Vernon Wells, who signed a seven-year, $126-million extension before the 2007 season. That turned out to be a nightmare for Toronto because Wells severely underperformed during his next (and final) four seasons with the club. He batted just .267 with 311 runs scored, 82 home runs, 312 RBI and a .784 OPS in 572 games.
Bautista's deal came next, which was the largest contract the team handed out until it signed catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82-million deal. Bautista inked a five-year, $65 million extension (with a $14-million team option for 2016) before the 2011 season and has since been arguably the most prolific power hitter in all of baseball.
However, given his age, it's unlikely the Blue Jays would make such a monumental commitment to the slugger. On top of the Jays not being big spenders, the team's ownership perhaps needed to find a way to bail out the new front office, which is not well-liked by the fan base. It's perceived as villainous since former GM Alex Anthoupoulos rejected a contract extension offer from new president and CEO Mark Shapiro, citing it "wasn't the right fit." Anthopoulos built the Jays into a contender and helped them reach the playoffs in 2015 for the first time since 1993, but was seemingly driven out of town after 13 years with the organization.
ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that the revelations of Bautista's demands did the Blue Jays a huge favor because now the fan base probably won't be up in arms since they're likely aware $150 million for a player who'll turn 36 before the start of 2017 is a bit of an outlandish request, considering he's bound to decline as he gets older. He's right. This gave the front office, as well as the ownership, an immense edge: Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins won't be viewed as the bad guys for a second time and Rogers Communications, a billion-dollar company, won't have to commit big dollars to another player and increase the payroll.
Toronto already turned down signing David Price after the left-hander expressed a willingness to remain with the team beyond the 2015 season. While he would have been a tremendous expense, he's also only 30 years old and the Jays would have undoubtedly been World Series favorites heading into 2016.
This past season was the first time Toronto was viewed as a threat or a powerhouse in over two decades. The front office and ownership had a chance to maintain that status, but the Jays perhaps took a step back by replacing price with J.A. Happ and Jesse Chavez. They also traded away outfielder Ben Revere and Liam Hendriks, both of whom had good campaigns with the Jays last season.
While Toronto figures to be a contender in 2016, it probably won't be as electrifying as it was last year. Remember, it was below .500 before the All-Star break and then Anthopoulos struck all those trades before the non-waiver deadline.
It doesn't seem as if Shapiro and Atkins have the same boldness, and it also doesn't seem like Rogers Communications is willing to commit more money into the team even though their window to win a World Series may only last a couple more seasons.
