TORONTO – Jose Bautista knows how much it will take to keep him in Toronto, and he’s not going to quibble over a few million dollars.
The Blue Jays slugger is entering the final year of his contract, and he said at spring training in Dunedin, Florida Monday he sees no need for a lot of back-and-forth negotiations.
“I’m not going to sit here and bargain for a couple of dollars,” he told reporters. He said Toronto asked for a number, he offered one and, “They either meet it or it is what it is.”
READ MORE: Slugger Jose Bautista says he’d like to be a Toronto Blue Jay for life
The right fielder, who turns 36 this year, said he is “not willing to negotiate” and also scoffed at the notion of a “hometown discount.”
“In my world, that doesn’t exist,” he said, while wearing a “Home is Toronto” t-shirt.
“In my eyes, I’ve given this organization a five-year hometown discount already.”
Bautista signed a five-year, $65 million contract extension in 2011, and the team exercised its $14-million option in November to retain him for the 2016 season.
Since 2010, Bautista has led the majors with 227 home runs. He was a major factor in Toronto’s playoff run last October, also providing one of the most iconic moments in team history.
The Jays are also weighing the contract of fellow Dominican slugger Edwin Encarnacion, who has given the club until Opening Day to offer a multi-year extension.
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