Bautista not ready to retire: 'I don't think that's necessary right now'

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Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Although he couldn't find a major-league job in 2019, free-agent slugger Jose Bautista isn't ready to hang up the cleats just yet.

"I don’t think that’s necessary right now," Bautista said in a Spanish interview with MLB.com's Nathalie Alonso. "I haven’t given it much thought. I haven't considered it yet."

The six-time All-Star admitted free agency isn't ideal for older players.

"That’s why you didn’t see me on the field, in spring training, or during the regular season," 39-year-old said. "The market has changed a lot, especially for guys my age."

The Toronto Blue Jays declined Bautista's 2018 option in 2017 after a stellar 10-year run that saw him hit 288 home runs with an .878 OPS in 1,235 contests. He authored a pedestrian .203/.348/.378 slash line with 13 homers while playing for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets in 2018.

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