Bautista says he’s happy to be back with Blue Jays despite offers from others
TORONTO — Marcus Stroman snuck down to the bowels of the Rogers Centre on Saturday afternoon after signing autographs for fans upstairs. He wanted to be there for Jose Bautista’s welcoming news conference.
As Bautista fielded questions from reporters, the young right-handed pitcher sat, mostly quietly, in the back row. Afterwards, he scurried up to the front of the room to give Bautista a bear hug.
Toronto’s clubhouse leader has returned.
Bautista, who signed an $18.5-million, one-year deal with the team last Tuesday that includes mutual options for more years, said he’s happy to be back — even if it means he didn’t get the long-term contract or the lucrative pay day he was said to have asked the Blue Jays for last spring training.