Arbitration hearing between Jose Bautista and Toronto Blue Jays postponed – MLB
It looks like the Toronto Blue Jays have been given a chance to work something out with Jose Bautista as their arbitration hearing has been postponed for two days.
Arbitration hearing was needed as the Blue Jays and Bautista could not agree to salary terms. Bautista is asking for $10.5 million and the Blue Jays are offering him $7.6 million. The difference between figures is what led to arbitration as the two parties
were unable to find a middle ground during their arbitration.
Toronto Blue Jays’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos confirmed the postponement of the arbitration hearing.
"Our arbitration hearing with Jose Bautista has been postponed to allow further negotiation between the player and the club," Anthopoulos said. "As it is the Blue Jays policy not to discuss contract negotiations, I will not be making any further comments
regarding Jose Bautista until an agreement is reached or the conclusion of the arbitration process."
The Blue Jays will be looking to finalise a deal with Bautista as Spring Training is starting and the team will want to focus their efforts on the field to get the team ready for the grueling regular season. Bautista is an extremely talented player and a
definite match winner for the Blue Jays. They will not want him to leave the team due to slight disagreements in salary issues.
Last season, Bautista broke records as he hit 54 home-runs. His current batting form can easily shatter most of the pitching line-ups in the league. Most pitchers either fear him or have immense respect for his powerful hitting. The Blue Jays know well how
valuable he is to the team and will not want him to go anywhere else.
Bautista was ranked third in the American League with a slugging percentage of .633 and a .995 OPS with 124 RBIs. He also managed 92 extra-bases and was in second place with 100 walks. His talents are known across the league and the Blue Jays know that there
are teams out there that are willing to offer Bautista large amounts of money to acquire him.
The Blue Jays will be hoping that Bautista signs an agreement soon and that he can repeat his previous season performance for them. The Blue Jays are desperate for a successful season and to find a way into the illustrious playoffs somehow.
Their chances are good if Bautista stays healthy and maintains his match fitness. However it is crucial that he is happy with his agreement so that he can concentrate on his batting performance and nothing else. It will be interesting to see what both parties
agree to as the regular season is getting closer.
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