Bautista to sign one-day contract, retire as a Blue Jay
Published
Jose Bautista will sign a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in order to officially retire as a member of the club.
The announcement comes ahead of Bautista's enshrinement into Blue Jays' Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre on Saturday, which honours the most impactful individuals in franchise history.
“There aren’t many names as synonymous with Blue Jays baseball as José Bautista, and it is our great honour that he will officially retire in a Blue Jays jersey,” said Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays. “On behalf of a generation of Blue Jays fans that had the privilege of watching his clutch moments on the field and inspiring work ethic – thank you, José, for a mesmerizing decade representing the Toronto Blue Jays.”
Bautista was traded to the Blue Jays in 2008 and went on to play 10 seasons with the club. He hit 288 home runs with the club, second only behind Carlos Delgado, and holds the single-season franchise record for homers with 54.
The 42-year-old made six consecutive All-Star game between 2010 and 2015 and won three Silver Slugger awards.
In 1,798 career games with the Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies, Bautista hit 344 home runs to go along with 975 RBI and 1,022 runs scored.