Jason Bay

[Frayed Knot]

The Bonilla/Carter comparison is interesting.
Carter had a bad rep among some (esp with other players) of being a phony on the basis that no one could be that smiley and up all the time and therefore it had to be an act. Except that that was truly who he was. Might have been overly annoying at times, but it wasn't faked.
Bonilla not only also came with the big smile but the Mets clearly played up (and over-played) the "good guy" angle. It was when he didn't always measure up that rep (fit over the error and subsequent lies about it, Klapisch, butting heads with M&MD on signing day) that the conflicts started. Also, he committed the sin that many import Mets seem to fall victim to: the bad first season (BA & OBA down 50 pts from previous season; SLG down 60). By the time he righted his ship the team was sinking and by the time he was hitting like an AS he was gone.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I see your logic. Bonilla's not a jerk because there were jerks on the '86 Mets. And me, today I'm a jerk because I think Bonilla's a jerk. Yesterday I was a jerk because I wondered if Wright might've complained in private, to Francoeur about Citi Field. Two months ago, I was a jerk because you cheated on Lunchie's rawk quiz. I'm always a jerk if my opinion isn't consistent with yours, or probably anybody else's. And I'm especially always a jerk whenever I respond in kind, to posters who call me a jerk.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Klapisch was trying to -- and succeeded in -- push Bonilla's buttons. I liked that he stood up to Klap, but wish he had done it in a better way. Offering to show him the Bronx was the read meat that Klap was looking for.

It's widely agreed that Jeff Torborg put Bonilla up to it. The Klap had gone grovelling to Torborg the day before, in private telling him not to take the book personally.

When Bonilla saw him the next day in the clubhouse the first thing he said to the Klap was: "Hey Bobby why don't you suck my dick? But don't take it personally".

I've got a Bonilla road jersey that I got at Manny's Baseball Land outlet store on sale. It's a neat jersey.

I've always regarded you as a man of exceptional taste.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is from an article in the New York Times that discusses Jason Bay's albatrossness:

But given the length and size of his contract, Bay will be as much of an albatross as any player in team history if he cannot rediscover his old form. He is slated to earn $16 million per year in 2012 and 2013. The deal also includes a $17 million option for 2014 that will vest if Bay has at least 600 plate appearances in 2013 or at least 500 in both 2012 and 2013.

I was unaware of (or had forgotten) that there's a possibility that Bay's contract with the Mets could extend to a fifth year. Obviously, unless Bay gets his act together in a big (and by now, unexpected) way, there's no way the Mets will let him get the required number of plate appearances in 2013. They'd surely release him before that happened.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: This is from an article in the New York Times that discusses Jason Bay's albatrossness: But given the length and size of his contract, Bay will be as much of an albatross as any player in team history if he cannot rediscover his old form. He is slated to earn $16 million per year in 2012 and 2013. The deal also includes a $17 million option for 2014 that will vest if Bay has at least 600 plate appearances in 2013 or at least 500 in both 2012 and 2013. I was unaware of (or had forgotten) that there's a possibility that Bay's contract with the Mets could extend to a fifth year. Obviously, unless Bay gets his act together in a big (and by now, unexpected) way, there's no way the Mets will let him get the required number of plate appearances in 2013. They'd surely release him before that happened.

Which could mean his contract is almost half over. Unless it explodes the rest of the way though, Sandy's gonna have an interesting time dealing with this outfield in the offseason.

No way they let that contract vest though. Another faux option year that's really an easy out for the front office. Just sitting him against tough righties would keep that from happening.

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: Just sitting him against tough righties would keep that from happening.

The way he's beem swinging, Bay would consider me a tough righty.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think he's at the stage of his career where he's best to be a veteran backup type for a winning team. The dumb contract assures he won;t be unless the Mets pay 90% of it and he does so for another franchise. Which I'm sure they will.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think he'd be well suited for a role as a crafty veteran pinch hitter, who you call on when you need somebody to ground into a double play.

I wonder if Bay would be open to an "early retirement" package? Offer him $6 million at the end of the season to just walk away. He'd gain two years to spend with his kids, rather than flailing futilely in front of booing throngs. The $6 million alone would set him for life, even if he didn't already have millions in the bank.

Yeah, I know. He wouldn't go for it, his agent wouldn't go for it, and the players union wouldn't go for it. But I think it would be a nice way out of this mess for everybody.

[Ceetar]

Phillies looking for some Righty power right? smaller park, he still hits lefties..

[Vic Sage]

yeah, i'm sure they'd give us Worley and Dominic Brown for his massive contract.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Excerpt from Oliver Perez With a Bat?

But the batting order offered a glimpse at how far Bay has fallen. �Even with Beltran, Jose Reyes, David Wright and Ike Davis out with injuries, Bay still batted sixth. The top of the order looked like something from a split-squad game in spring training: Angel Pagan, Willie Harris, Daniel Murphy, Hairston and Lucas Duda.

Bay's looking so bad at the plate -- he looks like he can't even see the pitch.

[Guest attgig]

maybe he'll go the way of alex rios. Just put him on waivers, and wait for the white sox to pick him up off of waivers, and give him away for free.

Or could go the way of Vernon Wells. Trade him to the angels for players that the manager just won't play and an extra OF'er. then just cut the extra OF'er midway through the season, and trade away the other guy for minor leaguers.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Alex Rios wasn't pushing 33, though.

[seawolf17]

No, but Vernon Wells is; and Bay's is actually a more reasonable contract than either Rios or Wells. After this year, it's "only" two years, $35 million (including the 2014 buyout). If they take back a Carlos Zambrano-like contract ($18 million in 2012, then FA), then I could see it happening.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't know what's going to happen, but what might be most illustrative is to try and find out what Alderson (and his lieutenants perhaps) have done with burdensome contracts at their previous stops.

[TransMonk]

Or just look at what they have done with the burdensome contracts in New York:

March 18, 2011: Luis Castillo released by the New York Mets.

March 21, 2011: Oliver Perez released by the New York Mets.

July 12, 2011: Francisco Rodriguez traded by the New York Mets with cash to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Those aren't as analogous as I would hope, as none represent the middle of the contract, and the last one doesn't represent a gross underperformance.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, I'm sure that Sandy would have little trouble releasing Jason Bay just before, or during, the 2013 season. (Especially with that 2014 option looming.) But can he find a creative way to unload Bay before then?

[Centerfield]

Sure. He needs to call the other owners in baseball and convince them what a great fit Omar Minaya would be as their next GM.

[Gwreck]

If the money is a sunk cost (it is) and the Mets aren't going anywhere this year (they aren't) then I would just continue to play him every day this year. You bring him in, sit him down and tell him that he's got until the end of the year to show he's a quality player. If not, he's going to be nothing more than a backup going forward from now until the end of this horrible contract, and that Duda/Evans/Murphy/whomever is going to be the starter.

[ashie62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think he'd be well suited for a role as a crafty veteran pinch hitter, who you call on when you need somebody to ground into a double play. I wonder if Bay would be open to an "early retirement" package? Offer him $6 million at the end of the season to just walk away. He'd gain two years to spend with his kids, rather than flailing futilely in front of booing throngs. The $6 million alone would set him for life, even if he didn't already have millions in the bank. Yeah, I know. He wouldn't go for it, his agent wouldn't go for it, and the players union wouldn't go for it. But I think it would be a nice way out of this mess for everybody.

The Union wouldn't go for it, but as for Bay...he is Canadian.

[dgwphotography]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think he'd be well suited for a role as a crafty veteran pinch hitter, who you call on when you need somebody to ground into a double play.

He really has become an overpaid Tom Paciorek...

[seawolf17]

dgwphotography wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think he'd be well suited for a role as a crafty veteran pinch hitter, who you call on when you need somebody to ground into a double play. He really has become an overpaid Tom Paciorek...

HOLY CRAP that is terrifying.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

The team needs to stop offering contracts with vesting clauses.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't want to view all vesting options as the same. The only way he gets 600 trips in 2013 for the Mets will be if he profoundly rebounds. Well structured, they should provide some protection to both player and team.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, the vesting portion isn't the problem with Jason Bay's contract. It can and will be easily avoided.

[ashie62]

Somebody get Bay some Stanazol.