Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista has been named as the principal owner of Las Vegas Lights FC after purchasing the team, according to an announcement from the franchise. The Lights play in the USL Championship league.
"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.
"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," he said.
Las Vegas Lights FC has played in the USL Championship since its inaugural season in 2018 and plays its home games at Cashman Field in downtown Las Vegas. The 2024 season gets underway in March.
Bautista played 15 seasons in the MLB with 10 of those campaigns coming with the Blue Jays. During his time in the majors, Bautista posted a .247 career batting average to go along with 344 home runs and 975 RBIs.
Bautista is often remembered for his iconic 2015 playoff go-ahead home run against the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Bautista also spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates early in his career.
