Red Sox To Talk Bay Extension Before Season

get eeerrrr done. bay wants to stay in boston

As a proud Canadian and a HUGE Red Sox fan I would love to see Bay there for maybe 5/60? That seems pretty decent.

he'll command torri hunter money

Here is my new favorite game... look at the free agent list for the next off-season and decide who will be a Yankee. Right now Matt Holliday for sure. Maybe Bay and Ankiel. Probably Bedard.

The only competition that Bay will have on the market really is Guerrero, Holliday and Crawford, and it's unclear that any of them will hit the market.

If Boston can get Bay signed for like 4/60 or something, then they might as well get that done while they can.

Bay is a damn good player.

Bay would be a fool to re-sign now.

Posted by: Rich | January 12, 2009 at 11:31 AM

no he wouldnt. he likes boston, wants to play for a contender and will get good money.

He'd be a fool to talk extension now...in this market...from the looks of things he will be one of the top 5 FA's next year and command a 100mil+

rfro- there is no way Jason Bay is a $100M player. Not even on a 10 year deal.

"The only competition that Bay will have on the market really is Guerrero, Holliday and Crawford, and it's unclear that any of them will hit the market."

I don't think I'd count Guerrero as competition for Bay. Vlad's nearing the end of his career and he'll likely be signed specifically as a DH rather than a fielder next year. Holliday, Nady and Crawford will be Bay's primary competition. That said, I don't think Holliday will hit free agency, regardless of Boras being his agent and I don't think Nady's nearly as valuable as Bay.

If Holliday is extended when the A's inevitably trade him, Bay could very well be the top free agent outfielder next year if he doesn't sign an extension.

YAY! keep guys like this in Boston

hunter wasnt 100 i think he was 90

I agree that he will get a very high offer even in this market. Sox want to figure out how much that is before considering guys like Pujols and Mauer.

Bay's agents have already come out and said that they are open to talking extension. So I doubt Bay is really looking forward to free agency, he loves Boston.

http://blogs.weei.com/alexspeier/2008/11/05/jason-bay-interested-in-remaining-a-red-sox/

"The only competition that Bay will have on the market really is Guerrero, Holliday and Crawford, and it's unclear that any of them will hit the market."

The sky is blue, the grass is green, the earth is round, water is wet, what goes up must come down, and Matt Holliday will hit the market.

joba the sox sign tuff, hard nosed baseball players that want to win. not money grabbing whores that are premadonnas

bay will never be a yankee. he doesnt have any of the characteristics of the prototype yankee player.

"Here is my new favorite game... look at the free agent list for the next off-season and decide who will be a Yankee. Right now Matt Holliday for sure. Maybe Bay and Ankiel. Probably Bedard."

Mets need a LF so they will likely be interested in Holliday and/or Bay. I could see the Yankees looking at Ankiel to play CF.

Bay would do better considering this year's free agent market. Why re-sign now even if next year is the same? Boston needs Bay. A year doesn't change that fact.

Also, haven't we learned from this year's free agency how much the Yanks will give just to pry an agent from the Sox? Was the Mark Teixeira signing so long ago? Especially since almost half of the Yankees OF are gone after this season.

Here's what the Yankees CAN do:
Sign Holliday and Bay/Ankiel (Have one play right field after Nady's gone)
Then in 2011, they can sign Crawford for CF because the Rays will certainly pick up his option.

Yes, this sounds unrealistic. But after what just happened this winter, you can't count the Yanks out from anything.

60mil/4 sounds reasonable to me but I think he could squeeze more from a Bos/NY rivalry.

bay said he wants to play in boston. i dont see him as the kind of guy who would go to FA to make a few more bucks.

The sky is blue, the grass is green, the earth is round, water is wet, what goes up must come down, and Matt Holliday will hit the market.
_____________________________

Sometimes the sky is gray, but now I am just arguing for the sake of arguing. But amen to Holliday hitting the market... he is a Boras client and Scott Boras can smell that money already. If Bay really wants to stay in Boston he can still re-sign with them AFTER he tests free agenency. I realize Boston fans want to lock him up (as well they should), but I think he would be better off waiting. He will get more money than Boston will offer him now.

no he wouldnt. he likes boston, wants to play for a contender and will get good money.

Posted by: glen_quagmire | January 12, 2009 at 11:33 AM

He would still be a fool. Its not like you are saying he that he will get more money now or something.

rofl @ the thought of Carl Crawford playing CF for the yankees....you thought Damon's arm was bad out there I guess you are trying to push the boundaries with that one.

Dont the Yanks have an awesome CF prospect anyway? Real funny how ever since they started signing every man and his dog its netted them 0 rings. Build from within then go grab the parts you NEED, thats how you get championships, and its what they did from 96-2001.

There are a few things with Bay. The Sox need him as he is a good fielding OF and he produces. While the Sox have a good minor league system they don't have someone they can replace him with in house and as pointed out there won't be much in the way of free agents in 10 either and the Sox don't like bidding wars. I think 4 or 5/60 is about what the market will bear. And also as pointed out he likes the Red Sox. GO BAY!

They are willing to talk extension with Bay before the season but not Youkilis? WTF?

you guys are best friends huh? how many guys say things when they're on a team, then go file for free agency?
no one saw torii hunter as the selfish type, he wanted to goto texas to "help the you inner city kids" then LA offers him 90m and he signs that in a second, so lets be real

Posted by: Zack | January 12, 2009 at 12:01 PM

he could have made big money in 2005 after had great years in 04 and 05, but he signed an extension with the pirates. hes not my best friend but he has come out and said he wants to stay in boston. bay knows boston will give him the money he is worth.

"Russell, if Bay doesn't scare you then you are tough as nails. He is better than your present left fielder, whoever that is!"

After years of Manny, yes he doesn't scare me. In fact, I don't think anyone will give Ortiz that kind of protection. Luckily those years are behind Yankee fans (and Red Sox fans). Say what u want about Damon but Bay ain't exactly that gold glove scary hitter that you're dreaming up.

Although it easy to lump the Red Sox and Yankees together based on salaries, let's not forget that the Sox are not even the second highest payroll in baseball and about 80 mil. behind the Yanks.
Realistically, they could wait a year and see what Bay is worth on the FA market, but with all of the corner OF's making much less than anticipated, why not try and use that as leverage to get a deal done now. The difference in value between Bay and someone like Holliday is probably not worth the Boras headaches and the financial burden, so making a deal now, while he has only had half a season in the spot light (his value is significantly decreased by playing in such a small market for so long), makes a lot of sense.
Also, making comments criticizing players for taking money or staying someplace as a reflection as character appear counterintuitive in this forum.

zach u need to just get to the point. you want bay to go to free agency so the yanks can blow him away with 100mil. theo is not that stupid. he will lock him up.

Bay is averaging 30 HR,100RBI at a .285 BA not very far from Tex's numbers and that was mostly in a weak lineup in Pitt.Bay puts up a big year and he'll be looking for the $$$, he'll be obligated to the union to do so

It's not unrealistic to believe that players salaries will not continue to plateau, at least for the time being. There are a lot of guys wishing they had accepted arbitration or other deals they had turned down. If there is assured money on the table, players seem more likely than ever to take it, especially with the value of veterans decreasing as younger, cheaper teams continue to succeed.

"Can you also tell me how many guys of the 07 Boston team were homegrown? More than half their postseason roster were aquired through trade or FA, especially the major contributors: Manny, Ortiz, Beckett, Lowell, Dice-K, Schilling, Drew, etc."

pedy, youk, ells, lester, delcarmen, pap, all had a role in winning that WS. beckett and lowell came from the han ram trade, so they were a product of the farm system.

"beckett and lowell came from the han ram trade, so they were a product of the farm system."

hahaaaa

Posted by: Zack | January 12, 2009 at 12:46 PM

jokes on you. the sox won a ws from that trade

(Some people really clog Red Sox and Yankee posts with garbage.)

Resigning him is probably a no-brainer for the Sox, but I would think after the dreadful market for outfielders this year Bay would try and wait to see if things rebound.

Even if he loves Boston he is still going to want to optimize his value.

pedy, youk, ells, lester, delcarmen, pap, all had a role in winning that WS. beckett and lowell came from the han ram trade, so they were a product of the farm system.

Posted by: glen_quagmire | January 12, 2009 at 12:45 PM

And you see them winning without Manny, Lowe (the WS MVP), Papi or Beckett? No.

You traded prospects for them. And FA is trading money for players. The point is that they weren't homegrown. The other poster specifically said that the Yanks should use parts from their system. Because the Yanks do trade for players, however they just haven't been using prospects. And when the Yankees did count on rookies, they didn't deliver. (2008 season with Melky, Kennedy, Hughes, Cano, Shelley Duncan)

"And FA is trading money for players."

Hahaha no it is not. I mean if you're a yankee homer then maybe.

Otherwise, I think even the most incompetent could identify the difference between trading players for players and "trading" cash for players.

Who doesn't understand this? The point was Bay accepted the stability of a long term deal over the volatility of going year to year but earning more cash.

Posted by: Kenan and Kel | January 12, 2009 at 12:52 PM

Obviously the aforementioned poster who assumes a player doesn't care about money just because he accepts a contract covering arb. years.

Bay and his agent have expressed previous interest in signing an extension with the Red Sox, and the Sox are mutually interested. Bay is an above-average left fielder, hits for a respectable average, is a run producer and a respected member of the team. I will be very surprised if he is not signed to a three or four-year extension.

Regarding the ongoing debate about the Sox and Yankees farm systems, as I mentioned before, until the Yankees get consistent major league production from just a prospect here and there, the Red Sox system is leaps and bounds better. All you have to do is look at the prominent roles Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papelbon, Delcarmen and Youkilis, Kason Gabbard and even Buchholz (for a short period) had in 2007, and what Masterson, Lowrie and even Brandon Moss made last year. Even Michael Bowden pitched a solid game in his major league debut.

A well-balanced team and talented depth is why the Red Sox won it all in 2007, came within a game of the World Series last season and will seriously contend for another World Series championship in 2009. You can tout prospects all you want, but the bottom line is whether or not they produce at the major league level.

What some people don't seem to realize is that the benefit of a deep farm system is not only to fill holes on the major league level with low-cost talent that is under team control for six years, but also to use as trade pawns for difference makers. The Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez deal for Beckett and Lowell is a prime example.

I think four years and $60 million is reasonable. I don't think the Sox would go six years, and I don't blame them. I don't think Bay would get six years, not even from a team content with throwing its money away like the Yankees and getting into bad long-term deals like the Yankees.

"So Yankees get criticized for trading young talent, but when red Sox do it it's teh right move?"

Can you stop trolling?

Otherwise, I think even the most incompetent could identify the difference between trading players for players and "trading" cash for players.

Posted by: Kenan and Kel | January 12, 2009 at 12:58 PM

Is that even an argument? And teams have traded players for cash in the past. Who was Babe Ruth? A lot of teams give up good players because they just can't handle their contracts. Also, as I said, that isn't the point.

If you would have followed: teams can't just count on their farm system when they don't get top draft choices.

Teams that receive low picks can still win by making many trades/FA signings to stay competitive. And I cited the 07 Sox as an example. If you truly believe they could have won without those guys then good for you. The fact is, the Red Sox have one of the largest payrolls for a reason and they still won. And the Yankees have stayed competitive for years with their trades/FAs but didn't make the postseason when they counted on their farm system. Therefore, it is an error on judgment to declare that the Yankees biggest flaw is that they don't use their farm system.

I subscribe to Theo Epstein's philosophy. If you trade away a top prospect or prospects, you do so to acquire a difference-making young veteran or a young player of equal value. The Gagne deal was an exception, and a lesson learned. Epstein didn't make the Beckett deal. He was on a brief hiatus. But I think it makes sense to trade away a prospect or two to bring back a young veteran or a young prospect who fills a need (like Saltalamacchia).

"that's your comeback? cant come up with anything to back up comments so you want me to leave?"

Did I say leave? I said stop trolling. You clearly recognize the difference.

Were you beaten as a child? You love the negative attention.

"14/5 is what jd drew received, and drew didnt have the top 4 biggest markets going after him"

Wait so you know who is going to pursue Jason Bay?

Zack I seriously think you should replace Tim. MLBTR could use a genius like yourself.

If I am Jason Bay, I take nothing shorter than 5 years. If people like Soriano and Tex can get 7-8 year contracts, I don't think Bay will have any problem getting 5 years.

The people thinking that he cannot get more than 3-4 years are delusional. If he does sign a deal for that short of time it is because he chooses to, not because there isn't a market out there for a 5 year deal.

Also, regardless of whether he loves Boston and the Red Sox, it would be stupid of him to not test the free agent market.

An almost exact situation was Dempster this past year. He made it abundantly clear that he really liked Chicago and the Cubs, but regardless of this, he waited to sign until he was officially eligible for free agency. By doing so, he was able to squeeze a few more million out of the Cubs.

It isn't about loving Boston so much he wants to give them a discount. It's the security of a deal, playing the season without pressure of a brilliant performance to ensure more money.

The same reason he declined arb and elected to sign a longer deal.

Posted by: Kenan and Kel | January 12, 2009 at 01:11 PM

Ah what? Of course it's about loving a team/location. Why would a player give a discount to stay on a team for another 4-6 years when they don't like the team?

Players give discount for arb. years because they have to STAY. It's not the same when you're FA eligible.

Plus, he has leverage. Who else will the Sox get? Holliday? They won't get anyone better than Drew.

He played great this year and just has to put up decent numbers for one more year to get a better contract.

He's right handed and should easily put up good numbers with the Monster.

If he actually wants to stay in Boston (we won't know that for sure until he signs an extension) then he can probably get 3-5 years 13-16 per as an extension.

Wow.. sorry about the horrible typ-os. Jeez.. embarassing.. I guess I need to stay at a Radison and not a holiday inn express...

The Red Sox will begin contract extension negotiations, and just when it seems they have a deal in place, the Yankees will swoop in with a 7 year 150 million dollar offer. Will it be legal? No, but they are the Yankees, and no one will question it.

Just kidding but I bet there will be serious talks between the two parties, but unless Boston gives some of that Teixeira money to Bay I would think he will test the free agent waters. Then again maybe he will just sign a 4/60 or 5/75 type deal and stay. We will see

The question for Bay (and his Agent who will drive the decision) is whether or not the market will rebound by next offseason, stay the same or get worse.

I don't know who Bays agent is but a lot of agents made poor choices this year when they directed their clients to turn down arbitration.

Me not being a risk-taker, I go with the extension now versus worrying about the economic situation getting worse and ending up on the wrong end of things.

Remember, salaries are already down and the gates haven't even opened yet. With attendance likely to suffer a lot this year owners (IMO) will be even more frugal next offseason.

Right now owners are being frugal due to uncertainty but next year they will be able to be frugal based on clear cut stats that their numbers were down.

Whether or not owners truly feel the crunch in their own pockets is irrelevant. If they take even a small hit at the turnstyles they will be able to justify cutting back on offers a little more next year too.

"even if Bay has a down year, his age & history will get him paid"

tell that to varitek