chicot60
02-17-2011, 10:13 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
5 yrs/64 million
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays have scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon during which they are expected to announce a long-term contract extension with Jose Bautista.
The sides were nearing agreement on a reported US$65-million, five-year contract late Tuesday night, and GM Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday morning that the slugger was expected in camp Friday.
That indicated the deal was essentially done, as Bautista and the club were due in Arizona for an arbitration hearing Friday. Players must attend their hearings.
While maintaining his policy of not commenting on the status of contract negotiations, Anthopoulos sounded a note of praise on the process with Bautista.
"The biggest thing is there's trust on both sides, there's a willingness on both sides," he said. "There's always been a desire for both parties to try and work something out one way or the other."
The challenge in coming up with a contract for Bautista was gauging what is fair market value for a player who hit a club-record 54 home runs last year, more than tripling his previous career high.
Eligible for free agency in the fall, Bautista needed enough incentive to forgo the open market, while the Blue Jays needed protection in case his production reverts to previous levels.
With an average annual salary of $13 million or so, both sides apparently found the common ground they were seeking.
Word of the reported deal was greeted warmly in the clubhouse.
"Last year was a historic season and the way the fans reacted to him was amazing," second baseman Aaron Hill said of Bautista. "It's really neat for us to see something get done.
"Ownership sees what they have in the player and what he is to us and to the city of Toronto. It's always good to see a player get extended and support his family."
Ace lefty Ricky Romero didn't want to comment too much about the contract until the announcement was made, but his feelings about Bautista were clear.
"He's an important part of the team," said Romero. "You see what he did last year and he's going to be good for the young kids, you see his work ethic, the way he goes about his business.
"He's a winner."
Bautista and the Blue Jays were scheduled to have an arbitration hearing Monday but asked for a postponement to discuss a long-term deal.
Bautista, who was seeking $10.5 million in arbitration, said he would not discuss a multi-year contract during the season after the hearing took place.
The Blue Jays, who were offering $7.6 million, settled matters before then.
The deal comes a day after first baseman Albert Pujols called off his talks on an extension with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The negotiations played out much differently as well, something Anthopoulos pointed to in refusing to give any updates on the Bautista talks.
"When negotiations are conducted in the media and made public, they can steer off the path a little bit, which is why it's so important for me to keep them quiet," he said.
"I think we're seeing things go on in baseball right now where negotiations are very public and become a big distraction to the team and owners and general managers have to have press conferences and things like that. We're all here to win games and put a good team on the field."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/02/17/jays_bautista/
5 yrs/64 million
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays have scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon during which they are expected to announce a long-term contract extension with Jose Bautista.
The sides were nearing agreement on a reported US$65-million, five-year contract late Tuesday night, and GM Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday morning that the slugger was expected in camp Friday.
That indicated the deal was essentially done, as Bautista and the club were due in Arizona for an arbitration hearing Friday. Players must attend their hearings.
While maintaining his policy of not commenting on the status of contract negotiations, Anthopoulos sounded a note of praise on the process with Bautista.
"The biggest thing is there's trust on both sides, there's a willingness on both sides," he said. "There's always been a desire for both parties to try and work something out one way or the other."
The challenge in coming up with a contract for Bautista was gauging what is fair market value for a player who hit a club-record 54 home runs last year, more than tripling his previous career high.
Eligible for free agency in the fall, Bautista needed enough incentive to forgo the open market, while the Blue Jays needed protection in case his production reverts to previous levels.
With an average annual salary of $13 million or so, both sides apparently found the common ground they were seeking.
Word of the reported deal was greeted warmly in the clubhouse.
"Last year was a historic season and the way the fans reacted to him was amazing," second baseman Aaron Hill said of Bautista. "It's really neat for us to see something get done.
"Ownership sees what they have in the player and what he is to us and to the city of Toronto. It's always good to see a player get extended and support his family."
Ace lefty Ricky Romero didn't want to comment too much about the contract until the announcement was made, but his feelings about Bautista were clear.
"He's an important part of the team," said Romero. "You see what he did last year and he's going to be good for the young kids, you see his work ethic, the way he goes about his business.
"He's a winner."
Bautista and the Blue Jays were scheduled to have an arbitration hearing Monday but asked for a postponement to discuss a long-term deal.
Bautista, who was seeking $10.5 million in arbitration, said he would not discuss a multi-year contract during the season after the hearing took place.
The Blue Jays, who were offering $7.6 million, settled matters before then.
The deal comes a day after first baseman Albert Pujols called off his talks on an extension with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The negotiations played out much differently as well, something Anthopoulos pointed to in refusing to give any updates on the Bautista talks.
"When negotiations are conducted in the media and made public, they can steer off the path a little bit, which is why it's so important for me to keep them quiet," he said.
"I think we're seeing things go on in baseball right now where negotiations are very public and become a big distraction to the team and owners and general managers have to have press conferences and things like that. We're all here to win games and put a good team on the field."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/02/17/jays_bautista/