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Agent: Bautista has 'unfinished business' with Blue Jays

Rob Carr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

While much of the early offseason attention from the Toronto Blue Jays front office appears to have been spent on trying to re-sign Edwin Encarnacion, another of the team's All-Star free agents hasn't ruled out a return.

Jose Bautista is among the top available sluggers on the open market, and while his agent, Jay Alou, is canvasing potential suitors, he made it clear his client would like to remain north of the border.

"He loves the city, loves the fans," Alou told Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball. "I didn't realize how much he loves it there. And he really feels he has unfinished business."

After years of bouncing around from club to club, Bautista finally took off in Toronto after arriving in 2008. The 36-year-old has spent the last nine seasons with the Blue Jays, become one of the best players in franchise history.

There are a number of options on the table for Bautista, including accepting the Blue Jays one-year, $17.2-million qualifying offer in hopes he can boost his value with a strong 2017 season, but Heyman deems it a long shot.

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