I just don't really believe in a "Bautista window". I've always thought that that was a kind of really stupid compartmentalized thinking.
What if you sign Shields and then Jose breaks his leg in April?
What if Shields' contract four or five years from now contributes to an inability to lock up Stroman, Norris, Sanchez, Hutch, Pompey, for their prime years?
Having elite vet talent and a solid team does mean that Toronto needs to make every effort to win now, but it doesn't mean they should operate like a myopic. How about a non replacement level player for 2B, how about trading Navarro for a reliever because he makes a terrible DH, how about building a robust 25 man with depth everywhere?
Signing Shields and then calling the roster complete would be a rehash of everything that has made Toronto consistent also rans in the AA era. Studs and duds is the roster archetype issue. Toronto has the studs. They just need less duds.