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Report: Bautista hasn't softened stance on hometown discount

Bruce Kluckhohn / USA TODAY Sports

An injury-plagued year apparently hasn't given Jose Bautista any second thoughts on how he'll approach hitting the open market this winter.

The six-time All-Star stated before the season that he had no intentions of giving the Toronto Blue Jays a hometown discount, and despite a down year, Bautista reportedly has not softened that stance, remaining interested in seeing what offers will come when he hits free agency, a source told John Perrotto of Today's Knuckleball.

Bautista has endured two separate stints on the disabled list this season and enters play Wednesday hitting .228/.351/.444 with 17 home runs through 92 games.

There has been some improvement of late, however, as he's hitting .265/.362/.449 with five extra-base hits over his last 12 games since returning from a knee injury.

While struggling in a contract year is less than ideal for Bautista, the 35-year-old remains one of the marquee free agents this winter along with teammate Edwin Encarnacion and potentially Yoenis Cespedes should he opt out of his deal.

Bautista passed along his contract demands to the front office in February, and said the terms were non-negotiable. It was reported that Bautista asked for a 5-year, $150-million deal, though he later called those terms "false."

"I know it's not going to be five and 125," one NL executive told Perrotto. "Beyond that, I really don't know. That's a tough one. I don't see him going back to Toronto. I think that ship has sailed."

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