Blue Jays: Jose Bautista still wants to play for a winner

Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is still searching for an opportunity to play for a contending team after reportedly turning down less than ideal offers this offseason.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported the comments yesterday in his Sunday Notes piece for the Globe. The 37-year old outfielder is controlling what he can control with his sights set on playing for a team with the desire to win a championship. In the article, Jose Bautista also confirmed that he has turned down offers because he did not want to join a team that couldn’t win.

“All I can worry about is what I can control, which is to stay ready to go when that moment arrives. Hopefully, a club with the desire to win a championship decides to bring me aboard.”

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Bautista is hopeful of an opportunity to redeem himself from a disappointing 2017 campaign where he set a Blue Jays franchise record with 170 whiffs and barely hit above the Mendoza Line. The outfielder still managed to connect for 23 round trippers and surely could still provide a contending team with some offensive thunder.

The Dominican Republic native spent 10 seasons north of the border and single handily put baseball back on the map in Canada when the Jays weren’t necessarily filling the stadium. Bautista slugged 40 or more homers on three occasions including the 54 he swatted in 2010 on a Jays team that finished fourth in the AL East.

Even at this stage in his career and coming off a down year the always proud Bautista is still attempting to control his baseball fate while prolonging the inevitable as retirement looms. Hopefully, the bat flip aficionado can land on his feet somewhere and ride into the sunset on his terms. Bautista has at least earned that opportunity.

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Regardless of how it plays out, there will always be a place north of the border that would welcome him back with open arms. Number 19 is still a fan favourite around these parts and will be for many years to come.