Blue Jays' new execs still getting to know Bautista, Encarnacion

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins is trying to familiarize himself with his new surroundings before jumping into the deep end.

The first-time GM's been on the job for under two months. He and team president Mark Shapiro are looking to get acquainted with soon-to-be free-agent sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion before deciding whether they're involved in the franchise's long-term future.

"I love baseball players and I love seeing them getting paid," Atkins told reporters Friday. "They earn their money, but it is a significant undertaking when you talk about extensions and it takes time. We don't have relationships with these guys, so we're focused on the relationship first."

Shapiro and Atkins both came from the Cleveland Indians following the Blue Jays' postseason run, and have had an open dialogue with the two longest-tenured players on the club. The pair exchanged phone calls with the two sluggers earlier this winter and met with Bautista in Florida recently.

"It was great to spend time with him, great to get to know him," Atkins said. "We spent about three hours really just learning more about him as a person and things that are important to him as a player."

Bautista and Encarnacion combined to hit 79 home runs last season and have been the focal point of the Blue Jays' offense the past six years. There will be no shortage of suitors, however, if they both decide to hit free agency, and after both playing on team-friendly deals, they may go out in search of a lucrative deal in what projects to be a dismal free-agent class.

Shapiro must decide if spending most of the club's budget on two players who would be entering their age 36 and 34 seasons is worth it, though recent comments suggests he believes it is.

"I can tell you, we're going to continue to want (an extension) to happen," Shapiro said earlier in January, "and we're going to work to make that happen."