Blue Jays handled a delicate Bautista situation very well

The Blue Jays front office was faced with the difficult task of saying goodbye to a franchise icon, and handled the situation as well as we could hope for.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved figure in baseball, especially when they’ve been a part of the franchise for nearly a decade. That’s been the case for the Blue Jays and their fan base over the past month, as we waited for the imminent announcement that Jose Bautista would not be returning in 2018. That confirmation happened on Tuesday at the end of season presser (Globe & Mail).

When asked about Bautista’s future with the team and how they handled things, GM Ross Atkins was forthright about the situation and how things went down between the long time star and the ball club.

"“We sat down, we met with Jose, a couple of weeks ago and made it aware that we would not be picking up his option,”"

And there you have it.

It was one of the worst kept secrets around the Blue Jays, but to hear it right from the source is was a sobering comment to listen to. It also provides some perspective on the last couple of weeks for the player, and what was likely rolling through his mind as he played out his final days in a Blue Jays uniform. We suspected this was likely the case, but now we know for sure.

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As Shi David correctly pointed out a couple days ago, it would have been cruel for the team to handle this differently, to be saying goodbye in many symbolic ways (taking him out mid-inning to let the fans give him an ovation, for example), without having talked to him about his future at some point. To hear “Joey Bats” talk to the media in the final weeks, it was clear that he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the franchise where he made himself known, so it’s a very good thing that the team let him know they would be the ones to make the decision.

It’s not easy, but it’s a decision that is likely best for both parties in some ways. The Blue Jays are in need of a bit of an overall to their offence, and bringing back a pretty one-dimensional hitter on the hope that he can turn things around at 37 doesn’t make a lot of sense, even if the heart wants what it wants. Instead, the team can now pursue alternatives with more speed, improved on-base abilities, and better defence, areas that all need addressing.

https://twitter.com/BasebaIlKing/status/912099972446806016

It was also good to hear the comments Atkins made about Bautista’s future with the club, and how he and the franchise are not saying goodbye forever. Even if that simply means they’d welcome him with open arms after his playing career is over, it’s important that the team expressed that kind of respect for their 2x MLB home run king.

"“I don’t believe in closing any doors and speaking in absolutes, but based on the construction of our roster, we feel he’s unlikely a part of the solution moving forward…………… We want to make sure that when he comes back here, he can be celebrated in a very strong way. That could be in the form of wearing a Toronto Blue Jays uniform again. It could be that he’s traded or signed in the future at some point.”"

I’m a big fan of the way Atkins worded these statements for a number of reasons. He’s not ruling out the possibility that he could return, but he’s also not giving anyone any false hope either. Jose and his agent don’t want to have the Blue Jays off the table as they enter the offseason, for a number of reasons, so it doesn’t help to have that publicly stated. It also leaves open the possibility that if the team does make a significant trade, like moving Josh Donaldson or Kendrys Morales, that they could look at Bautista again if the price is right. That’s a big if, though.

The most important part is that it shows the team still loves and respects the player, even if their time together has come to an end. The 3x All-Star has been one of the most feared hitters in the game for a long time, but his time with the Blue Jays ended with a whimper. He was mostly still cheered all season, and was consistently in the lineup (although that could have been different if they were contending and healthy), so it’s not the worst of notes to go out on.

Next: What to expect from Justin Smoak in 2018

From what Atkins said at the presser, it sounds like a delicate situation was handled about as well as we could hope for, and that’s a very good thing. It would have been a shame to have had it ending any other way, and as Atkins said, it’s important that Jose Bautista is celebrated whenever, and however he returns to the Rogers Centre.