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Blue Jays' Bautista reportedly boycotting team's official broadcaster

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Toronto Blue Jays superstar Jose Bautista is going to bat for his teammates - and their bank accounts.

Bautista told Sportsnet, the Blue Jays' official television broadcaster, he won't engage in one-on-one interviews with the network until it reimburses rookie Devon Travis for a suit he purchased during a segment that aired in May, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports.

Bautista, who has apparently refused to do an interview with Sportsnet for three months, will not lift the self-imposed ban until the network pays Travis for the cost of the designer suit or gives him a gift certificate from Gotstyle, according to the Star.

The Blue Jays and Sportsnet are both owned by Rogers Communications.

From the Star:

Bautista believes Sportsnet took advantage of Travis — since it was the network’s idea to do the suit-buying special — and that he needs to stand up for his rookie teammate, who is unable to stand up for himself given his lower-echelon status in the league and with his new team. ... In the six-minute-and-30-second segment, Sportsnet host Hazel Mae takes Travis to Gotstyle in Toronto’s Distillery District, where the rookie second baseman models a handful of suits before settling on a two-piece, cobalt blue Ted Baker suit, a microprint shirt, hounds tooth tie and “cognac” lace-up shoes.

Bautista has continued giving interviews to other media outlets, including Rogers' own radio vertical, but hasn't appeared on Sportsnet since May 12, according to the Star.

All parties declined to comment on the issue, but Bautista reportedly confirmed the dispute when approached by the Star last week.

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