Former Blue Jays star Jose Bautista buys second tier Las Vegas Lights

Updated Jan. 16, 2024 1:45 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former Toronto Blue Jays star Jose Bautista bought the majority stake in the Las Vegas Lights of the second tier United Soccer League Championship.

“Las Vegas is the place to be and has emerged as a big professional sports town, and I will do everything I can to push this club forward,” Bautista said in a statement Tuesday. “As a soccer fan and former professional athlete, I am excited to be involved with the world’s game, Since my retirement from professional baseball, I have witnessed the incredible growth of soccer in the United States, and I look forward to sharing my love of sports with the Las Vegas soccer community.”

Bautista was a six-time All-Star with a career 344 home runs and 975 RBIs over 15 seasons. His signature moment came in Game 5 of the 2015 AL Division Series against Texas when Bautista flipped his bat after hitting a three-run homer.

The Lights started play in 2018 and are based at Cashman Field. They finished last among 12 teams in the Western Conference in 2023 with three wins, 21 losses and 10 draws, failing to make the playoffs, and open this season at Memphis on March 9.

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