Blue Jays’ hitters making waves

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a playoff run and are favored to win the American League East, but recent developments have their fans worried about the club’s future.

Outfielder Jose Bautista, who represents the heart of the lineup and drew considerable criticism over his dramatic bat-flip during last year’s playoff series against Texas, made it clear when he arrived for spring training that he wants a significant raise, reportedly in the $150 million range over five years.

“If you deduct (their salaries) from the payroll and you’re still a contending team, you’re going to add back players that offset (the loss) and obviously you get draft picks,” Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro said.

Jacob deGrom threw four scoreless innings and struck out five for the Mets in a 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins. ...

Hector Olivera extended his hitting streak to seven games and drove in three runs as Atlanta roughed up Opening Day starter Francisco Liriano and the split-squad Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3.