Ironic, isn’t it? In agreeing to a deal with the NY Mets, former Red Sox OF Jason Bay may be flushing his career right down the toilet.
According to multiple reports, Bay has reached an agreement with the Metropolitans on a four-year deal that will guarantee him at least $66 million. It includes a vesting option for a fifth year (that is readily attainable IF he remains healthy) that would increase his overall compensation to over $80 million.
The agreement will become official if he passes a physical exam, which is expected to be given sometime next week. (NOTE: While it is assumed he’ll pass the physical, it may not be a formality, as there has been rampant speculation the Sox balked at a long-term deal with him due to the health of his shoulders.)
Bay had been seeking a guaranteed fifth year in the deal, and it had been assumed that the first team to guarantee him that fifth year (the Sox or the Mets) would win the privilege of signing him; but both teams declined to guarantee the fifth year.
The exact details of the agreement are not yet available, but the rumor mill indicates that the deal is heavily back-loaded. If the rumor is true, then Bay or his agent (or both) cost the left fielder quite a bit of money. It’s quite possible that both men significantly misjudged the demand for the services of a .270 hitter who strikes out upwards of 150 times each season (867 K in six full seasons). In so doing, they over-played their hand and tried to create a bidding war that never materialized.
Bay declined a four-year, $60-plus million deal from the Red Sox this summer (and again in November) that would not have been back-loaded. When he turned them down, the Sox allocated that money in other areas (pitching and defense…Lackey and Cameron).
Once that happened, the Mets had no real competition for Bay’s services and could afford to wait him out, but as time passed by and other free agent alternatives dwindled, the Mets were on the verge of moving on to a Plan B, as well. So Bay had to (finally) admit defeat and cut the best deal he could manage.
So rather than play in The Friendly Confines—a ballpark built to maximize his offensive game and hide his defensive limitations—he will move on to CitiField. The dimensions of his new park are much larger. He will lose home runs. His defense will be exposed. And rather than play in front of a crowd where he had become beloved, he will be exposed to the worst fans in the world—New York fans.
And he still didn't get his fifth year guarantee.
Jason, can you spell r-e-g-r-e-t? Get used to the word…you will get to know it well.
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Dimensions of Fenway Park and CitiField
Left field wall: Fenway - 37 feet high; CitiField - 15 feet high
Left field line: Fenway - 310 feet; CitiField - 335 feet
Left field: Fenway - 360 feet; CitiField - 379 feet
Left-center field: Fenway - 379 feet; CitiField - 411 feet
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