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.
What a win for the Mets if they are able to save any money. Still feel bad for Bay though….
They did not save any money. Just a roster spot.
So the mets just paid him $21 mil to leave?
He would have been getting it either way. This clears up a roster space now, plus the money is getting deferred too so he’s not getting it all at one time.
oh ok so he’s getting the rest of the money on his contract, but not all at one time. Plus they get a roster spot open. Thanks for clearing it up for me
Not just that, but he can sign for another team for more than the league minimum.
ok thanks
Of course, nobody’s sure why any other team would WANT to do that…
They do save money. They pay the same exact amount but over an extended period of time. The present value of money is worth more then money in the future so in theory they pay him less
Impact on payroll: none.
Impact on payroll: Significant. Please research the time value of money.
Please research the difference between a payroll and a budget. Impact on budget: minimal. Impact on payroll: none.
Doesn’t it have some effect on payroll, because now it’s spread out over more years, so Bay will count against their payroll for longer, but for less AAV each year?
He’s a great guy, and perhaps the first “star” in the game I genuinely feel bad for. He worked tirelessly to get better, but it never happened. I do think he is done, and he needs to mentally relax…
I agree ,maybe he’ll go back to Boston and get his career back on track
Why do I fear the Jays will pursue him now?
wouldn’t be the worst platoon partner for Lind. There are better options out there though.
(unless he plays like the small sample size of 2012, in which case he would be the worst)
I mean I don’t think it’s a “terrible” signing if you get him cheap, but I would rather have Melky or Torii Hunter on a short-term contract in left.
Melky or Torii Hunter?
ain’t happening. Torii is nearing the end and wants to end it with a ring, or at the least, a deep playoff run r two
Your argument is not really strong.
What would the worst be then, a corpse?
He did great here in the 2009 WBC, Hitting in hitter friendly AL stadiums like Fenway park should show everyone why his homerun totals were so inflated while he played in Boston.
Dodgers should sign him for 10 million
He might be worth a flier for someone with a hitter friendly ballpark. He could potentially be this year’s Ryan Ludwick or Cody Ross.
Or a broken down roidless outfielder who is going through what you’d expect from a 34 year old would go through. The mets ballpark wasn’t that bad that it could change someone hitting like bay did to the awful player he’s been these last few years.
I think the Rays should pick him up. Make him a part time DH platoon outfielder. We tried to get him from the PIrates a few years ago. He may be healthy now and is a elite player when everything is in check!
Actually not a bad idea if he comes cheap. He rakes against LHP and is great in the clubhouse, and is decent in LF. But he can’t hit RHP to save his life anymore.
Bay had a .172/.264/.301 line against LHP in 2012. Perhaps not the sharpest “rake” in the shed.
He had a pronounced platoon split in 2011, but not really in 2010 or 2012.
My bad, I was thinking of 2011. Last year was a blur to me. I’m just glad it’s over and the Cardinals or Yankees didn’t win it all.
Interesting, I could see the Rays taking a flier on him to try and “replace” luke scott. However I still think if boston offers him anything at all he will take it.
Bay is still a good defensive player, not a good hitter. So DH wouldn’t work out in his case
That -0.5 dWAR sure is good.
its not always about stats like that. I don’t recall him making any errors in the field. He made some great plays in LF. Im not saying he’s a gold glove fielder he’s average. He has a good enough glove to not be playing DH, if that makes any sense to you.
Stats don’t lie. Ever.
That’s nothing. The supposedly great Josh Hamilton and Ichiro had -1.2 and -1.1, respectively. Even if those stats are infallible, he only cost them a few runs.
FWIW, while with the Pirates, Bay had earned a reputation for having a noodle of an arm. but perhaps he’s improved :shrug:
I wish J-Bay the best of luck wherever he ends up, it’s a shame it didn’t work out but both parties need to move on.
Orioles will jump on him.
The Pirates could use a left fielder!
I’m very interested in the terms they agreed to
I wish A Rod felt the same way.
Jason Bay hit 26 home runs over THREE YEARS. 26 home runs is a bad season for A Rod.
26 home runs is a good season for A Rod*
fixed it for you
#washedup
Oh man, you know he has to miss Fenway.
Met fans everywhere rejoice
If he’s healthy I wouldn’t mind the Reds taking a flyer on him if Ludwick can’t be resigned.
He’ll come back to Boston or go to Baltimore. Cody Ross type deal.
Nobody will give him a MLB deal.
if the mets save money, id imagine the players association would be very upset about this.
We don’t know over how long the payments will be spread or at what interest rate, but it’s very possible that the net present value of that payment stream will be less than that of not deferring it. We’ll see.
Off to Boston he goes.
If Bay still has something left in the tank, I hope he can land elsewhere; this is a complete surprise.
BTW is anyone else surprised that his “signing bonus” STILL hasnt been paid in full yet? I mean come on!
Not too surprised. This is the same team that won’t pay off Bobby Bonilla’s contract for another 24 years yet.
I don’t get describing it as them “agreeing to part ways.” It just sounds like the Mets are releasing him since they are still paying him next year’s salary, the option buyout, and the rest of his signing bonus. Is the fact that he’s letting them defer some of his money what makes it different from an outright release?
It seems there’s that plus the part of going through waivers and risk being claimed. This way he can sign wherever he wants. Plus the Mets do not save the minimum salary for the year that the claiming team would pay.
Perhaps he asked for his release. Obviously he has to be released, but it was mutual agreement instead of the Mets just straight up releasing without his input. And it appears they were able to structure the payment of the remaining salary as well.
ya, the deferral is the important difference. If they are deferring with little or no interest, then this is a big save for the mets. But its also a win for Bay who must have been feeling pretty bad by this point.
Given the mets current financial situation, I am sure if they can move some of that money until later, then it would be easier to go further with a Wright extension.
The deferrment is the “agreement”. Otherwise, the Mets would be on the hook for the full payout up front. They had to get Bay on board with whatever pay structure that was agreed upon – likely one that produces a substantially lower AAV to provide flexibility for the team.
It’s spelled out in the entry above. It’s closer to a buyout, really. What makes it different than a release is that a) the Mets get to defer some money and b) Bay can now sign with a new team for more than the minimum and keep that money in addition to his $21MM from the Mets.
Oh what fantastic news
Makes sense for him to come back to Boston.
epsteins always been pretty good about knowing when to let players go
Yep, he sure saw that concussion problem coming. Nope. Bay wanted more than he was willing to open their vault for. Simple as that. It looks like Epstein is a genius on the surface, but could he really predict Bay would fall that hard over a concussion?
He wasn’t doing too well before the concussion neither
Epstein offered a deal. Bay turned it down. Next……
So let me get this straight: The mets paid Bay $21 mil to leave? tell me if im wrong
The Mets will pay Jason Bay what the team promised when the club signed the contract on January 5, 2010.
They didn’t “promise”. His contract kinda stated they were to pay it.
Perhaps you should briefly review contract law.
The Mets pay exactly what his contract says $16 Mil for 2013, $3 Mil buyout, and $2 Mil signing bonus. $21 Mil total but because it is deferred and the time value of a present asset in the future is worth more then the same value paid in the future the Mets are, in theory, saving money. On the flip said, Bay becomes a FA so he can try to make more than the league minimum in his next contract. Basically, it’s a win-win
wow thanks for the info that really explained everything
Cleveland?
Francona was his manager in Boston and the Tribe tried trading for him several times when He was In Pittsburgh. Could use a DH and LFer and A RH bat…
Yes! That would be a good opportunity for him to get back to form in a small market and work with Terry again. Win Win!
Bay’s an interesting case, I know he’s had injuries but the massive decline kind of makes me suspect PEDs may have played a part as well. Someone will give him a major league deal in the 1 – 3 million range. Probably closer to one with incentives and a possible option. Good for the Mets that they don’t need to continue playing him, bad that they have to continue paying him.
Take notes, Mr. Dipoto.
He needs to do the same with Wells.
There is very little chance that anyone would agree with this. Deferring payments basically means you are taking less money even thought the dollar amounts are the same. It was a very classy move by Bay
ok Vern, Show us you are the Classiest!!!
He does lose some value depending on the amount of time the payments are being deferred, but I think he will recoup most of that value in the next contract he signs plus the potential improvements in any future contracts he might sign based on improved performance in a more favorable hitters environment. I’m sure he also took into consideration any additional subjective value he places on being able to choose his next workplace.
it was the least he could do given what an unbelievable failure he was in New York.
Wish Alderson could have tried to trade him for something. I would rather we get rid of bay but get something, anything back in return. This is pretty wishful thinking though.
What the Mets are getting is some financial flexibility due to the deferred salary. In a trade, the two teams (but mostly the Mets) would still be on the hook to have that full $21MM paid by the end of next season. At least this way, some of the money that was originally planned to go to Bay can now be used to sign Dickey or Wright.
I mean maybe he did try trading him and no one was interested. I mean lets be honest here. And lets say someone offered a career AA player, chances are the mets would still need to eat just about everything on his contract so really what is the point?
An AA player.
Bay’s .687 OPS as a Met falls short of Luis Castillo’s .691 mark with the organization. Yowza.
I’m shocked that anyone thinks Bay has something left in the tank. I agree that it’s bizarre he’d go from a very productive player to below replacement level out of nowhere but I just don’t see how he can turn it around with how he’s looked the past two years.
Nate McLouth still haunting you?
Jose Bautista would have been the preferred answer. I can honestly care less about a fourth OF who had two good months in the past three years.
I’m surprised he still thinks he has something left in his tank.
good gig if you can get it.
PLEASE tell me I’m not dreaming. This would be the second best piece of news I’ve heard in the last 24 hours.
Still paying him all the money…
That’s the only unfortunate part out of all this. The best thing to come of this is that now the Mets don’t have a glaring weakness in the middle of the order batting .165 that’s constantly into slumps or getting hurt. Question now is, who will they obtain for a right handed bat in the OF? All of our current options are lefties (Valdespin, Baxter, Nieuwenhuis, Duda).
Honestly, I see him going back to Pittsburgh.
Phillies have to give him a shot.
Makes alot of sense to go back to Pittsburgh. He could platoon in RF and/or LF with Travis Snider and Starling Marte. I wonder what the possibilty of him playing 1stbase is. If he can be versitile, that opens up alot more options for him.
haha Mets — I love how he and Bobby Bonilla will still be on the payroll together in like 2020….just stop giving out these stupid contracts.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Bay platooning/DH for the Tigers. Bay produced so well in Boston because he was surrounded by power, well protected, pitchers were forced to pitch to him rather than around him. With Delmon not getting a contract I say sign Bay. He would be a good addition to Cabrera and Fielder in the lineup and if V-Mart is healthy that would be a tough 3, 4, 5, 6 to pitch against.
Bring him back to that pull swing loving Fenway. Get him on the cheap. One year deal with incentives. I like that better than 3 for Ross.
You could tell at his press conference that he never wanted to sign with NY. The pressure was too much for him. I think that he will sign with his home town team and rebuild his confidence. The impression I always got is that he wanted the Mariners to step up and make him an large offer the last time he was a free agent.
his hometown is Trail, B.C. so the Vancouver Canucks??
He has lived in the Seattle area for years during the off-season.
I’ve lived in Western Canada for 20 years but I grew up in my hometown
of Ottawa, Ontario. JBay (and his sister Lauren, a Team Canada
fast-pitch hurler BTW!) grew up in Trail.
It’s the semantic about “hometown” that bugs me.
I have cousins in Seattle for longer than I’ve been out west. they are still from Saskatchewan.
This is what the Yanks will have to do with A-Rod in the next 2 years.
“I have no regrets with signing with the mets” neither would I if i signed for 66 million and played horribly….
also isn’t this a glorified DFA or release?
He going to the M’s. They have holes in the OF and he lives 12 miles from Seattle.
Oh, Canada…come play left field in Toronto if you’re healthy Jason Bay…
Knowing the Mets luck Bay wins MVP next year bats .336, hits 38 home runs with 138 RBI’s lol
Think the Mets are safe there…
you sir are probably correct
He’s getting the Bobby Bonilla deal. Do you think Wilpon will again invest the deferred portion with Berni…..oh wait.
Wonder if the reds would think about picking him on a minor league deal to have him compete for a roster spot for left field if we cant resign Luddy.
What do you think?
Watch him do amazing on his next team
Who thinks that the Red Sox will most likely sign Jason Bay again?
Since I doubt they’re going to land Hamilton, it would be interesting if the Brewers bought low on Bay especially since he’s eaten up Miller Park over the years.