Jose Bautista signing one-day contract with Blue Jays to retire in Toronto

Aug 11 2023, 3:14 pm

Blue Jays legend Jose Bautista will don the iconic blue jersey one more time when he signs a one-day contract to officially close out his baseball career in Toronto.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Bautista’s ceremonial signing on Friday morning, on the eve of his induction onto the team’s Level of Excellence on Saturday.

The 42-year-old Dominican slugger spent nine seasons in Toronto, including memorable postseason runs in 2015 and 2016.

His 2016 ALDS celebratory ensuing bat flip is remembered as one of the greatest moments in Blue Jays history, following a no-doubter three-run bomb to blow open a bizarre and controversial 53-minute-long seventh inning in the series’ Game 5.

Bautista is also being immortalized off the field with the reveal of a new mural at Spadina and Adelaide, depicting his iconic bat flip.

Bautista will be the star of the weekend on Saturday in the Rogers Centre when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Chicago Cubs at 3:07 pm.

Jack LandauJack Landau

+ Offside
+ Baseball
+ Blue Jays