Jose Bautista will retire as a Toronto Blue Jays player.
Batista visited Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, on Wednesday to sign a one-day contract with the club.
The deal is not for him to play, as he will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, the Level of Excellence class, a day before a home game against the Chicago Cubs at the same venue.
The deal will officially end Batista’s active career as a Blue Jays player.
He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 draft and bounced around the organization before being traded to Toronto in 2008.
His best years followed. In 10 seasons and 1235 games, he batted .253 with a .273 on-base percentage, .506 slugging percentage, 288 home runs and 766 RBIs. His 54 home runs in 2010 set a franchise record for most home runs in a single season.
A six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, he led his team to the Championship Series in 2015 and 2016.
Most notably, in Game 5 of the 2015 Division Series against the Texas Rangers, he performed a spectacular bat flip after hitting a game-winning three-run home run. It remains a classic moment in Blue Jays franchise history.토토사이트
“I want to celebrate with the fans, it’s a celebration of my career and a celebration of everything I’ve been able to accomplish as a Blue Jays player,” he told MLB.com and other local media outlets. I’m really grateful to the Blue Jays organization. It’s always nice to be recognized and celebrated.”
The Blue Jays’ Levels of Excellence honor former players (George Bell, Joe Carter, Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, Roy Halladay, Dave Steve), executives (Paul Beeston, Pat Gill), managers (Cito Gaston) and broadcasters (Tom Chick) who have contributed to the organization’s history.