Prolific slugger Jos├й Bautista┬аwill sign a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday afternoon so he can retire as a member of the team for which he played 10 seasons, the ball club says.┬а
“Jos├й Bautista defined a historic era of Blue Jays baseball, where a generation of Canadian baseball fans were reignited by the return of postseason baseball in Toronto thanks in part to Bautista’s ferocious swing, powerful arm, and leadership,” the Blue Jays said in a press release.
“The symbol of a one-day contract gives the Blue Jays organization and fans across Canada the opportunity to officially celebrate Bautista’s incredible 10-year career in Toronto.”
The signing will be broadcast live on the team’s social media channels at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The contract signing comes one day before┬аBautista┬аwill be added to the team’s “Level of Excellence,” which honours the best players in the franchise’s history, at a ceremony when the Jays face off against the Chicago Cubs at the Rogers Centre.
“There aren’t many names as synonymous with Blue Jays baseball as Jos├й Bautista, and it is our great honour that he will officially retire in a Blue Jays jersey,” said┬аMark Shapiro, president and┬аCEO of the Jays.
In potentially Jose Bautista’s final game as a Blue Jay in Toronto, 47,000 fans showed their appreciation for his 10 years as a Jay.
“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 тАФ┬аthank you, Jos├й, for a mesmerizing decade representing the Toronto Blue Jays.”
Bautista arrived in Toronto from Pittsburgh in a trade that sent Robinzon Diaz to the Pirates.┬а
Bautista went on to represent the Blue Jays in six all-star games. He set the single-season franchise record with 54 home runs in 2010 to lead Major League Baseball and also slammed an MLB-leading 43 homers in 2011.
Only Hall of Famer Carlos Delgado, with 336, has hit more homers in Blue Jays history than Bautista’s 288.
