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Jason Bay

Bay Open-Minded As Free Agency Nears

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Jason Bay is keeping his options open as he approaches free agency. In a chat with fans on WEEI.com, Bay said he is open-minded about where and when he signs.

"The window for my career doesn’t last forever," Bay said. "So limiting myself to one geographical spot really has no bearing on my decision."

The 31-year-old outfielder said he understands he may not sign a deal right away, though he would prefer to sign soon. Bay repeated that he enjoyed playing for the Red Sox under Terry Francona, so a return to Fenway seems like a real possibility.

Jon Heyman of SI.com wrote today that the Red Sox may be willing to offer Bay close to $15MM per year for four years. Heyman guesses that the Giants and Mets may bid even more.

Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com earlier in the week that his client is the "most complete" free agent out there. Advanced defensive metrics suggest that's not the case, but Bay's .921 OPS makes him one of the offseason's most coveted free agents.

Odds & Ends: Bay, Damon, Josh Johnson

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More links for Thursday…

  • Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Red Sox might be willing to offer Jason Bay $60MM over four years. Heyman can see the Giants and, possibly, the Mets bidding more than that for the Canadian left fielder.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law can imagine some team signing Johnny Damon to a three-year deal this offseason, but cautions that it's riskly to sign a player in decline to a long-term pact.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had an interesting line at the end of his article yesterday - the Marlins are "preparing a multi-year offer for Josh Johnson." Earlier in the month, Ken Rosenthal said signing Johnson was the team's top offseason priority.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro presents some of the options the Marlins are considering for their coaching vacancies. The team may hire longtime big leaguer Jamie Quirk.
  • Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors is unimpressed with this year's class of free agent first basemen. Adam LaRoche should be productive next year and the Mariners will likely want to bring Russell Branyan back if he's not too pricey, but there's no Mark Teixeira around this year.
  • Hissey responds to the Josh Johnson chatter, arguing that he's an elite pitcher worth investing in. He suggests a four-year $48MM deal would be fair for both sides. What kind of contract would you offer Johnson?

Heyman On Manny, Felix, Bay, Washburn

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The latest hot stove notes from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Manny Ramirez "is planning to exercise" his $20MM player option for 2010.  This was expected but it'd still be interesting to see Manny jump back into free agency, maybe seek two years and $30MM.
  • Heyman echoes what we've read regarding Brandon Webb – the D'Backs will pick up his $8.5MM option for next year, as Webb is not interested in renegotiating.  On a related note, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert looks at some options for the two open spots in Arizona's rotation.
  • The Red Sox "would still love to make a run at Felix Hernandez."  Who wouldn't?  I don't expect Felix trade talks to become reality unless the Mariners try and fail to sign him to an extension first.  Heyman considers Roy Halladay more realistic for the Sox; Doc's price would presumably be slightly lower with the '09 season concluded.  According to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail, Halladay, his wife, and his agent had dinner with Jays president and CEO Paul Beeston last week to discuss the future.
  • The Red Sox "were thought to have offered" $15MM to left fielder Jason Bay.  How many years?
  • Heyman says the Mariners and Brewers "are expected to be in the mix" for free agent lefty Jarrod Washburn.  Scott Boras surely knows a move to the NL would help Washburn, who was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Byrnes, Orioles

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Links for Wednesday…

Odds & Ends: Beeston, St. Claire, Bay

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Links for Tuesday…

Odds & Ends: Astros, Giants, Nationals

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Let's take a look at some early evening links:

  • After striking out on Manny Acta, the Astros must continue their search for a skipper.  MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the search is now focused on three candidates: former Astros manager Phil Garner, BoSox bench coach Brad Mills and interim manager Dave Clark.  One source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Mills would get the nod and that it would be a "surprise" if Garner were brought back.  Another source said that Clark remains a possibility.  Houston would like to reach a decision before the start of the World Series (Wednesday), but may even expand their search beyond these three choices.
  • Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are both too pricey for the Giants, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Holliday is represented by Scott Boras, who compared him to Mark Teixeira in hopes of fetching a deal similar to the eight-year, $180MM contract the first baseman received from the Yankees.
  • Johnny Holliday of MASN Sports writes that the Nationals will announce the identity of their manager for 2010 "any day now."  Interim skipper Jim Riggleman remains a candidate.
  • Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is likely to return in 2010, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Duncan has said that his decision will be dependent on the return of Tony La Russa, who has reportedly agreed to an extension.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Indians, Mulder, Royals

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More links for Friday…

Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Drew, Bard

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Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show this morning; let's take a look.

  • Epstein admitted the Red Sox need a contingency plan in case Jason Bay leaves, but he still believes "[Bay] wants to be here, and we want to keep him and take a shot."
  • Epstein says J.D. Drew has been worth "a tick more than $14MM per year," due to his offense, defense, and baserunning.  FanGraphs has the best-known public player valuation system, and they say Drew has averaged $14.93MM in regular season value over 2007-09.
  • The Red Sox GM was not trying to send a message through the media when he said DH David Ortiz needed to be a force in 2010.
  • Epstein considers reliever Daniel Bard a "work in progress," and implies thrusting him into the closer role in 2010 wouldn't be beneficial long-term for Bard.
  • In other Red Sox news, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the team has "expressed interest in meeting with [Aroldis Chapman] and watching him throw, although it is premature to categorize their interest as anything beyond preliminary."

Odds & Ends: Eyre, Rockies, Red Sox

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Links for Monday…

Red Sox Notes: Bay, Ortiz, Saito

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald covers a handful of Red Sox topics in his latest column. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Silverman expects Jason Bay and the Sox to haggle more about the length of a new contract than the dollar amount. Bay will want to guarantee himself a minimum of four or five years, while the Red Sox would rather stick to three years, plus an option.
  • Matt Holliday is an alternative to Bay, but he'll likely be looking for six years and more money per season than Bay. Plus there's no guarantee Holliday can thrive in Boston, while Bay has proven he can.
  • Even if they were to sign Bay or Holliday, the Red Sox would just be maintaining their offense, not upgrading it. Silverman thinks they need to add a big left-handed bat too, though he implies that may have to wait until David Ortiz's contract is up, a year from now.
  • One lefty hitter that Silverman notes is currently on the trading block: Brad Hawpe.
  • Ortiz is committed to improving his conditioning and fitness this winter, hoping to avoid another slow start in 2010.
  • While the Sox likely won't pick up Takashi Saito's $6MM option, there's "mutual interest" for the reliever to re-sign.
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