Left Field 2010

[Centerfield]

My apologies if a thread has already been started.

In addition to the rumors that someone has gone 5 years for Bay, there is an article at ESPN that says the Cards may have guaranteed an 8th year to Holliday (16 million per).

If that's true, that probably takes Holliday out of the Mets' plans. I wonder if this is going to become Bay or nothing for the Mets.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Oh, Boston Herald reports the MFYs have contacted Bay.

I'm thinking maybe Omar needs to make a trade. I've sorta thought all along that the rotation and catching questions might be answered in a trade, maybe the outfield questions do too.

[Guest attgig]

boston is out for bay. if angels end up signing matsui, i'd think they're out. other teams were never really in the fold for bay.

Unless the yankees do something big right now, i think bay comes to the mets.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Unless the yankees do something big right now, i think bay comes to the mets.[/quote:o3i8x4bu]

Good! And then the issue becomes not so much whether Bay is better than Holliday, but whether Bay is better than Sullivan.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Fifty craneys says Bay is better than Sullivan. I'm going all-out.

[Valadius]

The Mariners are still out there for Bay, aren't they?

[Guest attgig]

have the mariners really shown interest? I know the media keeps on throwing them in it, but seriously, the real hubub i've seen is how bay would bend over backwards to play near his wife's hometown. he has no negotiating power with the mariners. i honestly don't see them giving bay 5 years.

[ashie62]

Report say Bay will make a decision with "a few days"

So...time for the river card.

Will Omar go all in?

Stay tuned

[TransMonk]

Where does this Bay talk leave F-Mart's future as a Met? Is he traded or does he sit in the minors or on the bench until Beltran's contract is up?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think he'll be traded.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

French's year-to-year. So you could hand him those keys as soon as he's ready... or, alternatively, if Beltran's knees continue to give him (and us) sleepless nights, you could slide him into CF for a spell (assuming he cleans his cleats so they don't catch in the grass or anything).

[Guest attgig]

either that, or we see how Francour does, and he takes over in right. he needed a full year in AAA, after the showing he had in the majors last year.

let him play a year in AAA. if he rebounds and francour doesn't get back to being good, dump francour. if he rebounds and francour stays good, Fmart just gained himself some trading value. if he doesn't rebound... well...


(lwfs beat me to it i guess)

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

I'm in no rush to trade a 20-year old that just posted an .877 OPS in AAA. My Magic 8 Ball says Fartinez will be the Mets' starting right fielder in 2011. And he'll be pretty good. That's if he's not traded, of course. My Magic 8 Ball has a tough time reading Omar Minaya.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's like we don't want to get fooled.

Love is a risky proposition. But it's also a rewarding one. Let F-Bomb into your heart. If everybody plays well, delaying his crack of the lineup at 21, that's a good problem to have.

[RealityChuck]

The MFY have said they don't want Bay.

It's far too early to speculate about what happens to F-Mart in 2011. He needs a year at AAA and the Mets needs an outfielder, so Bay makes sense. In 2011, you can think about trading him or Francour (though I would lean toward keeping both).

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mets tweak offer to Bay, re-enter chase for Holliday

Jon Heyman, SI.com

Moving aggressively to try to secure a power-hitting left fielder, the Mets tweaked their offer to Jason Bay to give him a five-year option and are getting back into the ballgame for Matt Holliday, as well, SI.com has learned.

Mets GM Omar Minaya and Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, spoke at length on Tuesday. Minaya is thought to have offered a five-year deal (at slightly lower dollars per year than the original four-year offer for close to $65 million), but with Bay still believed to be seeking a six-year deal from them, the Mets apparently have decided to dip back in on Holliday. The Mets, who are now believed willing to go to about $75 million for five, originally concentrated on Bay in the hope that they might be able to sign him quicker.

Minaya is expected to talk to Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, as soon as Wednesday. Mets people suggest there could be a trade option to fill their offensive gap, but it appears that Bay and Holliday are their two top targets to enhance their power.

Meanwhile, the talks with catcher Bengie Molina are said to be at a standstill. Molina is believed to be seeking a three-year deal for as much as $20 million. The Mets are likely to be willing to give Molina a two-year deal for perhaps $10 million. Molina is clearly the Mets' top catching target, but there is concern the aggressive Mariners could become a player for him.

It remains somewhat of a mystery where the competition for Bay is coming from, but the Mariners and Angels seem like possibilities. The Red Sox don't appear to be aggressive players for Bay at the moment after spending about $85 million on John Lackey and signing outfielder Mike Cameron.

The Cardinals are actively trying to secure Holliday, and one Cardinals person expressed faith it could get done. But Holliday is still talking to other teams. The Mets are one of them now.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Wait... Omar talked to Bay's agent on Tuesday??? I thought he was too busy playing tiddlywinks. (What the hell are tiddlywinks anyway? But I digress...)

I'm kind of okay with them going to five years for Bay, but six seems like way too much. Hopefully they'll be able to get him for less than that.

I'd be surprised if the Holliday thing happens, but I didn't expect Pedro or Beltran either, so you never know.

And if Molina is demanding three years, they should tell him to go to hell. They really only "need" him for one, if Thole is on target for 2011. I'd much rather see the Mets get by in 2010 with Blanco/Coste/Santos/Thole than sign Molina through 2012.

[MFS62]

Agreed. If they want to sign a slow FA catcher with power, I'd bet they can get Rod Barrajas for 2 years (or 1 + 1 option year), and for a lot less money. That money they save can then be put to use to help address other positions.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Mets are monitoring the Matt Holliday negotiations, but are not actively involved, and it could be that talks for the outfielder are out of their price range.

The St. Louis Cardinals have an offer on the table to Holliday, widely believed within the industry to be for something in the range of five years and $80 million.

Internally, the Cardinals have expressed doubt about whether any team is going to be willing to make an offer at that level to Holliday, and it's unclear whether there will be major movement to St. Louis' offer.[/quote:lusvtack]

$80 million over five for Holliday? Except for the extra year, that's right around the average yearly salary that the Mets are said to be offering Bay. If that's the range that Holliday is in, then he probably is a viable option for the Mets. (Unless they're really sold on their preference for a pull hitter over a gap hitter, which I kind of doubt.)

[metirish]

That's got to be a mistake because that's what most expect Bay to go for.....would you want the Mets to go 5 years/$100 million for Holliday if that got it done?....or the 5 years/$80 million for Bay?

[Guest Hawkeye57]

As much as I would prefer Holliday over Bay, I think signing Bay for less might be a good option. Perhaps use this money to get a starting rotation that is better than one deep?

[Guest attgig]

it really seems like there aren't any major players that are threatening the mets from getting who they want... bay OR holliday.

the angels just got matsui, so i think they're pretty much set.


i think it's just the cardinals and mets, and maybe the mariners. of those three, if the mets are the team that loses out, i don't know what i'll do.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think the MFYs may go for Holliday.

[Guest Edgy DC]

As much as I would prefer Holliday over Bay, I think signing Bay for less might be a good option. Perhaps use this money to get a starting rotation that is better than one deep?[/quote:18bzmxk3]
Don't believe that. With injury upon injury gutting the roation and backing them with sub-standard defense, the Mets were still pretty middle-of-the-pack in starting pitching in 2009.

One can always use more pitching, but I don't think it's such a desperate priority.

[Guest Hawkeye57]

Don't believe that. With injury upon injury gutting the roation and backing them with sub-standard defense, the Mets were still pretty middle-of-the-pack in starting pitching in 2009.

One can always use more pitching, but I don't think it's such a desperate priority.[/quote:1yplziuk]

Good point, wasn't really taking the injuries into consideration. Just saying that beyond Santana and maybe Pelfrey, they might need a bit of help. Maybe a Jason Marquis or something like that to give a legitimate #3, instead of Olli.

[Centerfield]

The Mets are monitoring the Matt Holliday negotiations, but are not actively involved, and it could be that talks for the outfielder are out of their price range.

The St. Louis Cardinals have an offer on the table to Holliday, widely believed within the industry to be for something in the range of five years and $80 million.

Internally, the Cardinals have expressed doubt about whether any team is going to be willing to make an offer at that level to Holliday, and it's unclear whether there will be major movement to St. Louis' offer.[/quote:3pqjrr9k]

$80 million over five for Holliday? Except for the extra year, that's right around the average yearly salary that the Mets are said to be offering Bay. If that's the range that Holliday is in, then he probably is a viable option for the Mets. (Unless they're really sold on their preference for a pull hitter over a gap hitter, which I kind of doubt.)[/quote:3pqjrr9k]

Yup. I'd put that offer out there now and tell Holliday and Bay that the first one to sign gets it.

[metirish]

More on this

According to Heyman the Mets have offered a fifth year to Bay (whom they offered a four-year, $65M deal to late last week) and are willing to go as high as five years, $75M. Bay, 32, is believed to be holding out for a sixth year option

[Farmer Ted]

Mike Cameron signs with Boston. Where the hell have I been not to know that sooner? So, he's out of the mix, mos def.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The latest Bay updates appear to be conflicting.
[list:23fq5u9k]
The Mets won't go to five for Bay.

They're considering going five for Bay.

They've offered Bay a fifth year.[/list:u:23fq5u9k]

I think ultimately he'll get that fifth year from them.

[Guest Edgy DC]

OK, you need a leftfielder, but two leftifielders are commanding a disproprotionate amount of attention because they are the best of weak market.

The challenge should be to focus on Bay and Holliday, but commit yourself to not overextending yourself for either of them, and be ready to pursue plan B quickly. Despite Steve J.'s derision, the year they went for David Segui instead of going large at first was a good exercise in realistic restraint.

I'll throw some darts. How about Rick Ankiel? Rocco Baldelli?