Jays, Bautista Arbitration Hearing Postponed until Fri 18th

[SharoneWright]

The hearing in Jose Bautista’s salary arbitration case with the Toronto Blue Jays has been set for Monday (Feb.14) in Arizona, a major league source told FOXSports.com.

http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbb ... ys/4129096

[hyper316]

i think it's going to come down to 10.5 mill or getting multiyear contract. i dont think he'll be happy gettin 7.6 mill, might just pick up and leave next year.

[LittleOzzy]

Split this away from the other thread as I felt it deserved it's own discussion.

[dagger]

I'm disappointed they haven't at least talked multi-year contract. I like AA, think he's a great GM, but behind any great GM you have to have a good owner. And I despise Rogers and suspect all the talk about spending some day is just that, a smokescreen for their cheapness.

[Randle McMurphy]

I suspect they have talked. They just aren't willing to go for Bautista's demands.

[Randle McMurphy]

i think it's going to come down to 10.5 mill or getting multiyear contract. i dont think he'll be happy gettin 7.6 mill, might just pick up and leave next year.

He'll leave if he doesn't get the money he wants from the Jays in terms of a long-term contract next year, not because of any lost arbitration case.

[Avenger]

I don't know if Bautista is too willing to sign a multi year deal anyways, the absolute maximum the Jays could and should be offering right now is like 5 years 75. But if Jose has another good year and hits 35+ homeruns he could be in line for a Jayson Werth contract especially with no third basemen and outfielders on the market next year.

[Randle McMurphy]

I don't know if Bautista is too willing to sign a multi year deal anyways, the absolute maximum the Jays could and should be offering right now is like 5 years 75. But if Jose has another good year and hits 35+ homeruns he could be in line for a Jayson Werth contract especially with no third basemen and outfielders on the market next year.

Yep. If Bautista has confidence in his abilities in 2011, there isn't much reason for him not to wait this out.

[tiger7]

I'm disappointed they haven't at least talked multi-year contract. I like AA, think he's a great GM, but behind any great GM you have to have a good owner. And I despise Rogers and suspect all the talk about spending some day is just that, a smokescreen for their cheapness.

This. Hopefully the whole arbitration process with Jose doesn't create bitter feelings with him towards the organization not agreeing to terms. I really hope he stays with us for a while and keeps his production up.

[Michael Bradley]

AA's reasons for not wanting a long-term deal should be fairly easy to decode; Bautista has only had one good season. From 2006-2010, his OPS per year were .755, .753, .718, .757, .995. He is 30 now. I personally think with his swing change Bautista is better than the player he was in 2006-09, but the question is how much better and is it worth it for the Jays to give him a huge extension before knowing what his norm might look like in the next few years?

Bautista himself should be the one lobbying for the long-term deal given his history, but if he is confident that 2010 was just the beginning of another 5+ years of very good production, then he might look smart by waiting. Only time will tell.

[SharoneWright]

Yep. If Bautista has confidence in his abilities in 2011, there isn't much reason for him not to wait this out.

True, but then you could also argue there isn't much reason for him to demand arbitration either...

I just wish they had both settled somewhere in the middle. If he has a decent but not spectacular year this year, both sides would better be able to come up with a realistic framework....

[Randle McMurphy]

They went to arbitration because Bautista apparently believes he can make a good case that he's worth $10M in 2011. And he just may win. But if he doesn't, it doesn't mean he's going to start hating Jays management.

[Schad]

They went to arbitration because Bautista apparently believes he can make a good case that he's worth $10M in 2011. And he just may win. But if he doesn't, it doesn't mean he's going to start hating Jays management.

Yeah, I can't see him being too aggrieved with the team that gave him the chance to go from a nearly out-of-work utility guy to MLB's home run leader. Even if he loses a couple mil in arb (and I'm betting he wins), he'll still make $40-60m overall. Not that Jose strikes me as the vindictive type anyway.

[WpgPage]

Rogers may be a little on the cheap side but they are not stupid a LOT of people came out to the ball park last year to see Jose hit the long ball. If AA had come to them and said 3 years with a option for a 4th at a salary that is good value for us even if he does regress a I imagine they would have jumped at it. This is simply a case of the team seeing one value, and Jose attempting to maximize his worth, which is completely understandable considering this could be his one and only chance at a huge payday, from his perspective he may as well hit FA and try to get the biggest $ he can if he cant come to a agreement with the Jays

[northernlight]

This is Vernon Wells all over again....good for AA to be willing to take a position and stick to it. Nothing to do with Rogers. Of course they have talked multi year deal but lets not dig ourselves a hole again.

I'm disappointed they haven't at least talked multi-year contract. I like AA, think he's a great GM, but behind any great GM you have to have a good owner. And I despise Rogers and suspect all the talk about spending some day is just that, a smokescreen for their cheapness.

[DonYon]

I'm gonna be a little bit off-topic here, but do any of you guys think that he can ever play well enough over his career to be a hall-of-fame candidate? or is does he just not have enough prime years left? I'm looking into comparing this arbitration case to the ones that other future hall of famers, but I'm not sure if it'll be a justifiable comparison.

[WpgPage]

Jose is definitely not a HOF candidate not even if he has 3 or 4 more big years.

[torontoaces04]

I'm gonna be a little bit off-topic here, but do any of you guys think that he can ever play well enough over his career to be a hall-of-fame candidate? or is does he just not have enough prime years left? I'm looking into comparing this arbitration case to the ones that other future hall of famers, but I'm not sure if it'll be a justifiable comparison.

he, hehe, hehehe!

[dagger]

Jose says he won't negotiate with the Jays after the arb next week. Only after the season. I guess two can play hardball.

I really hope AA doesn't come to regret this.

http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2011/02/1 ... -hardball/

[Wo1verine]

I don't want Bautista signed long term.. it's the right call. Though i wouldn't mind a 1 year deal with one or two club options or something along those lines.