Jason Bay

Originally posted on Midwestropolitan .

Early in Saturday's game, which I believe lasted about 48 hours, Jerry Manuel was interviewed by Tim McCarver and Kenny Albert.  Manuel stated that the Mets have been competitive in most of their games and if they continue to do so, things should even out.

I actually agree with Jerry somewhat.  They haven't seemed over-matched in any series so far.  Two of their seven losses have gone into extra innings.

If you're a Mets fan right now, you might be just a little nervous. If you look at the current situation, you see a shaky 3-7 team that isn't hitting, pitching, or winning like the way you thought they might. You see a team that is on the brink of spiraling into another season that could be as bad or worse than what you saw last year. 

Well, don't panic just yet. There will be better days to come. 

Contemplate this hypothetical scenario from the perspective of a Major League Baseball franchise:

You have an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop with blazing speed and electric ability.

You have a franchise-type third baseman with Hollywood looks and a knack for wearing out left-handed pitching.

You have a proven, bona fide ace—and he's a lefty.

You have a switch-hitting, Gold Glove, center fielder with flair, grace, and a plus arm.

Sounds like a dream situation for a General Manager and staff, right?

Now, forget the "hypothetical" part...

Both New York teams have a new starting outfielder on their squads this year.

Both are upgrades over their 2009 counterparts.

The Mets signed free agent Jason Bay while the Yankees pulled off an old-fashioned trade as they acquired Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers in a three-team, seven-player swap.

That trade also involved the Arizona Diamondbacks, and appears to be good for all three teams involved.

Here are some outfielders who could struggle to match their 2009 production.

Jason Bay arrived in Port St. Lucie yesterday, and can you believe it, he was optimistic about the Mets chances in 2010.

He must be new to the system.  Something like that is almost laughable when it comes to the New York Mets.

I think some time in the mid-'70s the sitting mayor of New York made it illegal for the words “Mets” and “optimistic” to appear in the same sentence.

I was very high on Jason Bay last year. I figured he would drive in a ton of runs with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia at the top of Boston’s lineup.

He did not disappoint with 36 HRs and 119 RBI despite missing 11 games.

He’s moved on to the Mets this year, and he still figures to have plenty of opportunities hitting behind the likes of Jose Reyes and David Wright.

Bay has reached 100-plus RBI in four of his last five years, with nearly four of those years coming in Pittsburgh, so I don’t see him having a problem reaching that figure.

Since free agency began in November, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay have been the consensus two best hitters on the free agent market.

The general thought seems to be that while Bay is a great hitter, Holliday was the more desirable free agent for several reasons:

* Age: Holliday is almost 30 years old and should be entering his prime years. In contrast, Bay will be 32 years old this season.

Recently, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay signed a new contract with the New York Mets for four years and $66 million.

Why the Mets wanted to overpay for an average hitter, I don't know.

Jason Bay was instantly beloved by the Fenway Faithful after being acquired on Trade Deadline 2008, which saw the Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston, Manny Ramirez, leave for Los Angeles.