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Free agent Jose Bautista’s representatives have once again engaged the Blue Jays in contract talks, as reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi Thursday afternoon. Just a couple days ago, general manger Ross Atkins went on radio to say that Bautista was still an option for Toronto, who is still looking for outfielders.
Sources: #BlueJays, José Bautista's reps engaged in active contract discussions. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 29, 2016
Atkins on XM on Bautista: "He's obviously still an alternative for us"
— Clint (@_ClintB_) December 27, 2016
Bautista, local hero, declined the Blue Jays’ one-year, $17.2-million qualifying offer earlier this offseason and became a free agent. He is one of two (the other being Mark Trumbo) remaining free agents who will cost other teams a draft pick to acquire, which has suppresses their market value. Of course, the Blue Jays will not be required to give up any compensation for re-signing their own free agent.
With changes to the CBA that only allows a free agent to be offered the qualifying offer once per lifetime, Bautista may be tempted to sign a one-year deal to become a truly free free agent in 2017, although he’d be 37 next year. A dubious report on Twitter said that the Jays have offered him $12-million, but I could not imagine a situation where he settles for any less than the qualifying $17.2-million valuation.
I think we could all agree that we’d rather see Jose Bautista back in a Blue Jays uniform than Brandon MOss, right?