Jose Bautista reportedly wants five years and $150 million - MLB

UPDATE: Bautista is denying the report of his demand for $150 million, calling it “false.” Could this be something someone with the Jays leaked in order to lay the groundwork for them throwing up their hands and saying “hey, we couldn’t sign him!” Or is Bautista being cagey himself? As usual, we probably won’t know until the negotiations, or lack thereof, run their course.

12:45 PM: Jose Bautista is entering the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract. It has proven to be a bargain and, as we learned yesterday, Bautista is not prepared to give the Blue Jays a hometown discount on his next deal.

There hasn’t been a proper negotiation between Bautista and the Jays, but it has been reported that Bautista told the Jays what it would take to get him to sign an extension right now. Today Rick Westhead of TSN.ca reports that Bautista is asking for a five-year extension worth around $30 million per season.

That’s $150 million for a guy for his age 36-40 seasons. Which is . . . steep. Yes, Bautista has been great for several years now, posting a .945 OPS with an average of 38 homers per season since 2010, but that kind of financial commitment to a player Bautista’s age seems like a big, big ask.

Depending on how the Jays do this year, this could be a running storyline all season long.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.