Blue Jays and Jose Bautista Reach One-Year Deal

The star slugger is staying in Toronto.

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Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays can rest easy tonight. According to TSN insider, Steve Phillips, the team has finally agreed to a one-year deal with star slugger, Jose Bautista. Joey Bats will make a base salary of $18 million next season, but the short term signing comes with multiple options. Along with his minimum earnings, Bautista could net an additional bonus reaching $60 million. Up until today, the 36-year-old's future with the club remained unclear. Bautista turned down an initial team offer last November, which was believed to be somewhere in the $17 million range. Baseball reporter, Steve Phillips, broke the news, calling the agreement a typical "pay for performance" deal.

The signing shows both parties have their eyes set on competing for a championship. The Toronto Blue Jays have ended their previous two seasons by winning the American League division series, but even with this success, the squad has yet to make an appearance in the World Series. Locking up Bautista has fans hoping that their team can build upon previous years' efforts. The left fielder fought numerous injuries last year, culminating in 116 regular season appearances, with 22 home runs and 69 RBI. This will be Jose's ninth season with the Jays, who acquired the All-Star from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. While details of the bonuses have yet to be revealed, we can only hope that it includes extra cash for bat flips.

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