TORONTO (AP) A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that free agent outfielder Jose Bautista is staying with the Toronto Blue Jays after agreeing to an $18 million, one-year contract with mutual options for more years.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal, said Bautista passed his physical and the contract was finalized Tuesday night.
The 36-year-old Bautista hit 22 homers with 69 RBIs last year while batting .234 in an injury-plagued season.
Bautista is a fan favorite in Toronto. After the Blue Jays ended a 22-year playoff drought with their AL East title in 2015, Bautista hit a memorable three-run homer in Game 5 of the AL Division Series against Texas, punctuating his shot with a huge bat flip.
He did not accept Toronto’s $17.2 million qualifying offer this offseason, instead deciding to test the open market.
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