Mets and Bay agree to 4-year, $65M deal
December 29, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—The New York Mets and free agent slugger Jason Bay(notes) have reacheda deal.
A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesdaythat the sides have a preliminary agreement. The person spoke on condition ofanonymity because Bay must pass a physical for the contract to be complete.
FILE – In this Sept. 21, 2009,… AP – Dec 29, 4:25 pm EST FILE – In this May 10, 2009, f… AP – Dec 29, 4:25 pm EST
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The three-time All-Star is expected to sign a four-year contract for about$65 million. The 31-year-old outfielder hit 36 home runs with 119 RBIs lastseason for Boston.
Bay is a career .280 hitter and has averaged 30 homers and 99 RBIs in hislast six seasons.
Bay fills a huge hole in left field for the Mets, who skidded to a 70-92mark during an injury-plagued year and were looking for a bopper.
The deal was first reported by WFAN.
Bay produced in his 1 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox, but the sides couldn’tagree on a new deal. That started a Baywatch that ended with the Mets landing atop free agent—a bat they needed for their decimated lineup, and the kind ofsplashy move their fans demanded general manager Omar Minaya make.
Bay and left fielder Matt Holliday(notes) were the biggest hitters on the market.Holliday, who split last season in Oakland and St. Louis, is seeking an evenricher deal than Bay.
Picked by many to be a playoff contender last season, the Mets never gotinto the race during their first season at Citi Field. Despite the addition ofrecord-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez(notes), New York couldn’t overcome injuriesto the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran(notes) and Carlos Delgado(notes). By the end of theyear, the Mets were fielding makeshift lineups on a daily basis.
The vast left field at the new ballpark turned into a revolving door, witheight players starting at least seven games there. Gary Sheffield(notes), Cory Sullivan(notes)and Daniel Murphy(notes) spent the most time at the spot.
Pressure on the Mets to boost their roster heightened even more this winterwhen their city rivals, the World Series champion Yankees, traded for All-Starcenter fielder Curtis Granderson(notes) and pitcher Javier Vazquez(notes) and signed freeagent Nick Johnson(notes).
The Mets recently signed free agent pitcher Kelvim Escobar(notes), who’s been besetby injuries, and added backup catcher Henry Blanco(notes). But finding a major playerwas their priority and they hope Bay, a star since becoming the 2004 NL Rookieof the Year, will put them on the right track.
