Blue Jays: Five Bold Predictions For The 2019 Season
By Jason Lee
5. Jose Bautista retires, signs a one-day contract with the Blue Jays
With the game becoming younger by the day, it’s becoming extremely hard for veterans like Jose Bautista to find jobs. In 2018, Bautista was a serviceable player. Though he had a horrendous .203 average, he still posted a very strong .348 OBP that resulted in a 107 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR.
Sadly, “serviceable” may not be enough to find a guaranteed MLB contract. In fact, with a player like Adam Jones struggling to find work, it seems very likely that the only options available for Jose Bautista are of the MiLB variety.
Given his age and pride, expecting Jose Bautista to play much longer seems unrealistic. Rather, a bold (?) prediction would be for Bautista to retire in 2019, sign a one-day contract with the Blue Jays, and deservedly see his name placed on the Blue Jays Level of Excellence.