All-star slugger Jose Bautista will sign a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday and officially announce his retirement from baseball.
The signing will take place ahead of Bautista’s name being added to the Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre on Saturday.
“There aren’t many names as synonymous with Blue Jays baseball as Jose 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, in a statement. “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, Jose, for a mesmerizing decade representing the Toronto Blue Jays.”
Bautista spent 10 seasons in Toronto, reigniting the fanbase by leading the Blue Jays to back-to-back American League Championship Series in 2015 and ’16. Bautista was a six-time all-star and three-time Silver Slugger while a member of the Blue Jays.
Bautista will also live forever in the memories of Blue Jays fans for his legendary “bat flip” after hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS against the Texas Rangers.
The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native left the Blue Jays as a free agent after the 2017 season and split the 2018 campaign — his final one in the majors — between the Braves, Mets and Phillies.
Bautista retires having hit 312 home runs and collected 975 RBIs in 15 seasons. His 288 home runs in a Blue Jays uniform is second on the franchise’s all-time list behind only Carlos Delgado.
