Jason Bay Rumors
Mets, Jason Bay Agree To Part Ways
The Mets and Jason Bay have agreed to an early expiration of his contract, making him a free agent. The team announced the move in a press release. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) that Bay will receive all $21MM left on his contract, though some of it is being deferred. Bay is represented by Joe Urbon at CAA Sports.
"I still feel I have plenty to give to this game and that I can play baseball at a high level. But after serious consideration, both sides agree that we would benefit from a fresh start," said Bay in a statement. "I'm grateful we were able to reach an agreement to allow that to happen. I’m excited to keep playing and have no intention of just walking away. I enjoyed my time in New York. I have no regrets in signing with the Mets, other than that I wasn’t able to play to the level that the team, the fans and I all expected and that we weren’t able to win more games. I move on with nothing but an appreciation for the organization and its fans and best wishes to all my teammates there."
Bay, 34, signed a four-year, $66MM contract with the Mets prior to 2010. He was still owed $16MM in 2013, a $3MM buyout of his 2014 club/vesting option, and $2MM worth of signing bonus money. All of that accounts for the $21MM, which will now be spread over several years rather than the next 12 months.
Sherman says that Bay will lose some present day value through the deferral, but now he can sign with a new team for more than the league minimum (all Twitter links). The union doesn't allow players to reduce the guaranteed portion of their contracts unless they get something equal in greater in return. The Mets would not have released Bay without the deferrals, which allow the team to spend more in 2013 according to Sherman (on Twitter).
Bay's three years in New York could not have gone any worse, as the outfielder battled injuries and hit just .234/.318/.369 with 26 homers in 1,125 plate appearances with the team. The year prior to joining the Mets, he finished seventh in the MVP voting and put up a .267/.384/.537 batting line with 36 homers for the Red Sox. Bay has hit .246/.355/.401 against left-handers over the last three years and figures to draw interest as a platoon outfielder/DH.
Alderson Talks Free Agents, Wright, Dickey, Trades
The fourth-place Mets will wrap up their season against the Marlins this afternoon, a season that saw them sit in second place and 4.5 games out of first as late as July 7th. GM Sandy Alderson spoke to the media earlier today, saying he is "not prepared to blow up the team and start over again." Let's recap the full media session with some help from ESPN New York's Adam Rubin...
- "I don't want to give the impression that we're going to be out in the free-agent market looking for significant additions," said the GM. "We have lots of payroll tied up in a handful of players. That's a situation that gradually has to resolve itself."
- Alderson said he believes the team is headed in the right direction, but they are not yet in a position to spend lavishly or "pay for today with deferrals until tomorrow."
- The Mets will make every effort to retain both David Wright and R.A. Dickey. The team holds affordable club options for both players, but they can become free agents after 2013.
- Alderson would not rule out a contract extension that takes Wright to the end of his career, and he acknowledged that both sides have already had "informal conversations."
- The team's goals are to first build through the farm system, retain core players, and add players from the outside on a "fairly judicious basis."
- "I think it's possible, given what we have, that we'll be more active in the trade market," said Alderson. "But that's not a given, necessarily. I really do believe some of our players are on the verge of making bigger contributions." Alderson said they would be cautious with their starting pitching depth, however.
- The team's payroll for 2012 ended up being about $100MM, and the $9MM in total buyouts owed to Jason Bay and Johan Santana will be considered part of the 2013 payroll. Both players can become free agents after next season.
- Manager Terry Collins is under contract through next year and there have not yet been any talks about signing him to a contract extension.
Mets Likely To Keep Bay, Santana
There’s “zero” chance the Mets will release Jason Bay or ask him to compete for a job next Spring Training, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Mets executives have already decided to stick with Bay, Puma reports. “He’s a part of this team,” a Mets person said.
The Mets aren’t likely to trade Bay or left-hander Johan Santana, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Both players have no-trade clauses and tens of millions remaining on their current contracts. Bay will earn $16MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $3MM buyout for 2014. Santana, who's now on the disabled list with lower back inflammation, will earn $25.5MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $5.5MM buyout for 2014.
Rubin also surveys MLB rosters for bad contract swap candidates the Mets could consider. GM Sandy Alderson will likely be looking for a new center fielder this offseason and the team could also pursue a right fielder, Puma writes.
East Notes: Girardi, Nationals, Rays, Bay
Division leaders and their rivals are squaring off today in both the AL and NL East. With the Yankees looking to pad their four-game lead over the Rays in their rubber match and the Braves looking to pull within 5.5 games of the front-running Nationals with a sweep, here are the notes, quotes, and song lyrics from the East:
- GM Brian Cashman reiterated Joe Girardi will manage the Yankees next year, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Cashman was specifically asked, if in his mind, Girardi will be the manager regardless of what happens. "Yup," was Cashman's reply.
- The Nationals aren't letting the Stephen Strasburg controversy and the recent skid in Atlanta dampen their enthusiasm, according to the Washington Post's James Wagner. Mark DeRosa is the most vital presence in keeping the clubhouse loose with Wagner calling him part team dad and part team comedian.
- The Nationals' season is of historic proportions, writes Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. With 1933 the last time a Washington franchise won a league title and the District of Columbia having seen two versions of the Senators come and go in the interim, Svrluga also gives a lesson in how to calculate magic numbers for those who might have already perfected the math behind RGIII's QB rating.
- In addition to trying to make the playoffs, September is also about playing for awards and new contracts for the Rays, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Jason Bay told Pat Borzi of the New York Times that he doesn't believe the effects of two concussions are the cause of his disappointing season. Manager Terry Collins hinted that was the case before the Mets' series in Milwaukee. Bay responded, "Terry’s asked me that, and I have nothing to quantify that with. How do you know? I don’t feel like it has. A lot of people look for a lot of reasons as to why things may or may not have come down as they historically have. Albeit that’s a viable scenario, but I can’t tell you from one day to the next how it felt. Those things did occur, but if I knew the answer, I would have fixed it by now.”
- There is no easy fix for the Red Sox as they begin the long task of rebuilding their roster, writes the Boston Herald's John Tomase who provided a critique of the franchise from ownership to the farm system.
- It has been a surprising year for Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. No one could have predicted, even himself Sherman admits, the seasons the two managers have experienced.
- In a separate article, Sherman believes starting pitching will determine the Yankees' post-season fate.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos confirmed to reporters the Blue Jays are exploring moving their Triple-A club to Buffalo from Las Vegas, writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. This would, in effect, bump the Mets, currently affiliated with Buffalo, to Las Vegas.
- Rays' manager Joe Maddon summed up his team's offensive problems by turning to song, reports the Tampa Bay Times' Topkin. "Again, we've sang this song," Maddon said. "I'm sure we could make a nice country and western song out of this whole thing. Between your dog and your pickup, we came up short again. We came up short agin." Unfortunately, Maddon will not be eligible in the songwriting category at the Country Music Awards tomorrow night.
Mets Won't Eat Jason Bay's Contract
After announcing that Jason Bay will be a platoon player for the Mets, General Manager Sandy Alderson says that he won't absorb the final season of the veteran's contract. The Mets allegedly discussed a change of scenery deal with the Marlins for Bay but the Mets aren't looking to part ways with the outfielder.
"Certainly, there are times when it is appropriate to eat a contract," Alderson told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York. "There are other times when it is not. Jason Bay is not going anywhere, nor is his contract."
Bay, 34 in September, is hitting just .154/.248/.285 with five homers in 149 plate appearances in 2012. The outfielder is set to earn $16MM in 2013 and has a $3MM buyout on his $17MM 2014 season.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Suzuki, Bell, Bay
The Braves became the latest team to beat the struggling Astros tonight, winning a 4-1 result on the back of 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball from Tim Hudson. With the Braves' win and the Nationals' split of a double-header with the Marlins today, Washington is only two games up on Atlanta in the NL East. Here's the latest from around the division...
- With the Phillies looking to keep payroll under the luxury tax threshold, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News looked at Reed Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Scott Hairston as right-handed hitting free agents who could be paired with lefty bat Nate Schierholtz for a productive outfield platoon that would come at a much cheaper cost than what the Phillies would have paid Hunter Pence in 2013.
- The Nationals don't see new catcher Kurt Suzuki as a "rental," GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman). Suzuki is under contract through 2013 and the Nats plan to keep him along with regular catcher Wilson Ramos, who will be recovered from a torn ACL suffered in May.
- Fangraphs' Eric Seidman looks at how a Jason Bay for Heath Bell/John Buck trade would benefit both the Marlins and Mets in terms of salary relief and filling lineup holes. The two clubs had some discussions before the trade deadline about such a deal, though talks went nowhere at the time.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pena, Bay, Grades
The trade deadline is officially behind us, but expect to see a number of waiver trades this month as teams begin to fall out of contention. Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday...
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox held onto Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach at the deadline despite trade interest because they wanted to keep as many impact bats as possible while David Ortiz is on the DL. They also want to maintain catching depth.
- "Absolutely. That would be wonderful," said Hunter Pence to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about signing long-term with the Giants (Twitter link). San Francisco acquired Pence yesterday.
- Earlier today we heard that the Mets and Marlins discussed a trade involving Jason Bay, Heath Bell, and John Buck, but Mike Puma of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) that Bay was never asked to waive his no-trade clause.
- ESPN's Jim Bowden graded each team's trade deadline activity, giving the Angels and Dodgers an A and an A-, respectively. The rebuilding Astros received a B+.
Rosenthal's Latest: Bay, Bell, Buck, Lee, O's, K-Rod
The Mets and Marlins discussed a change-of-scenery trade that would have sent Jason Bay to Miami for Heath Bell and John Buck, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal was never close, though the contracts and the money matched up well. Bell is signed through 2014, Bay and Buck through 2013. Rosenthal notes that all three players are likely to clear waivers this month, so the two sides could revisit the deal. Here are the rest of his rumors...
- The Astros are paying virtually all of the $9MM left on Carlos Lee's contract, but one club that spoke to the Marlins said Miami wanted as much as $2.5MM in return for the slugger. Talks never progressed.
- The Orioles spoke to the Mariners about Kevin Millwood, but Seattle wanted a better return than what was offered given the right-hander's bargain $1MM salary.
- The Orioles also discussed a deal with the Royals that would have sent one of their young arms to Kansas City for Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Broxton. Rosenthal speculates that it may have been Jake Arrieta.
- The Brewers were close to trading Francisco Rodriguez to the Giants about a week before the deadline, but San Francisco backed off after the right-hander blew two saves and allowed six runs in Philadelphia last week.
Quick Hits: Bay, Indians, Brewers
Happy Father's Day to all dads! Jim Thome, a father of two, became just the fourth player in baseball history to hit 100 home runs for three different clubs with his solo shot in the Phillies' game against the Blue Jays. Thome joins Alex Rodriguez, Reggie Jackson, and Darrell Evans in that exclusive club.
- Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Adam Rosenbloom of MLB.com, he is concerned about the playing career of Jason Bay, who is on the disabled list with his second career concussion. "We've got to put ourselves in his shoes, and decide what we think is the best for the future," Collins said.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti will not show any apprehension approaching the trade deadline after the mixed results of the Ubaldo Jimenez deal last year, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I continue to trust our process and evaluators," said Antonetti. "If we feel the right guy is out there, and it's the right trade, we'll certainly be willing to make it. I don't think we'd operate any differently."
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers recent sweep at the hands of the Royals may cause the team to be sellers at the trade deadline. Haudricourt points out the Brewers will have several question marks heading into 2013 including the starting rotation, first base, outfield, and shortstop.
New York Notes: Rivera, Chamberlain, Harvey, Bay
Mariano Rivera suffered an apparent right knee injury while shagging fly balls during batting practice today in Kansas City. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch has the details about the injury, which has been initially diagnosed as a twisted knee (Twitter link), though Rivera will undergo an MRI tonight. If the injury requires Rivera to miss time, it would be the legendarily durable closer's first DL stint since 2003. Follow @CloserNews for the latest on Rivera's status and how his possible absence would impact the Yankees' bullpen.
Here's some news from both Big Apple teams...
- Joba Chamberlain has been transferred to the 60-day DL, the Yankees announced today. In corresponding moves, Jayson Nix has been called up from Triple-A and Eric Chavez has been put on the seven-day DL due to a possible concussion.
- The Mets have no plans to call up star prospect Matt Harvey to become the team's new fifth starter, GM Sandy Alderson told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. “Aside from Matt himself -- and I love that he thinks this way -- there is no one in the organization who feels he is ready to be in the major leagues,” Alderson said. "When we bring him up, we hope to do so and not have to send him back. This is not about filling an immediate need. This is about the long-term stability of the organization and the team.” To that same end, the Mets will also not call up any of their other top pitching prospects like Zack Wheeler or Jeurys Familia.
- "There are no other options" for the Mets in regards to Jason Bay other than to hope that he returns from the DL fit and starts hitting, writes MLB.com's Anthony DiComo as part of a reader mailbag. I wouldn't say Bay is completely untradeable, as the Mets may be able to move him for another bad contract, though that wouldn't really help the situation. Bay is owed approximately $13.3MM over the remainder of this season and $16MM in 2013, though as DiComo notes, Bay's injury problems make it unlikely he will get the necessary plate appearances for his 2014 $17MM club option to vest.
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