Buzz: Mets hope to Hear from Bay Today
Buster Olney of ESPN said on air this morning that the Mets could end up signing free-agent OF Jason Bay within the next 48 hours.
…hat tip to Matt Pignataro of Seven Train to Shea for the info…
Updated at 11:24 am:
Andrew Marchand of 1050 ESPN Radio quotes an MLB executive who thinks the Mets should tell free-agent OF Jason Bay, “If there is a better offer, take it.”
The executive tells Marchand the Mets are stupid if they fall for a mystery team.
To read more from Marchand, check out his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, here.
Original Post at 6:56 am:
Jon Heyman of SI.com says there is a mystery team bidding on Bay, but adds:
“The Mariners are not a serious player for Bay… the Red Sox appear to have moved on, the Angels interest seems limited at this point, the Giants run at a hitter of this stature appears unlikely and the Braves don’t seem to be in the bidding, either.”
Heyman says the Mets have been engaging free-agent OF Matt Holliday, ‘just in case.’
…i still prefer the Mets sign holliday to a six-year deal than sign bay to four…
According to John Harper of the Daily News, “There is a feeling on their part that Bay’s agent is looking for another club with serious interest, hoping to create something of a bidding war that doesn’t seem to exist right now.”
As such, Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Mets hope to hear back from Bay by Friday, when ‘it’s more likely that he’ll counter with a different proposal.’
According to multiple reports, the Mets offered Bay a four-year deal, worth roughly $65 million, but he is seeking at least a five-year guarantee.
…there is a popular notion, mostly perpetuated by the Daily News, that bay doesn’t want to play for the Mets, and is desperately seeking another team to play for… i’m not sure that is exactly correct… i think he wants a five– or six-year deal, and is desperately trying to find someone to give it to him, or at least give him leverage so he can get it from the Mets… from what i can gather out of people close to bay, he has no issue with the Mets, New York or Citi Field, he actually has friends on the team, i just think he hoped to stay in Boston or end up in Seattle, maybe San Francisco, instead, and it doesn’t seem like any of those teams are an option… if there is a surprise team, a ‘mystery team,’ so to speak, my hunch is it is the Orioles, but that is a total guess… total speculation…
Yesterday, in a poll to MetsBlog.com, here, 48 percent of people said the Mets should offer Bay a five-year deal, in an effort to get the deal done; while 26 percent said to stick at four years, even if it means losing him to another team; 22 percent said to ignore Bay, and sign Matt Holliday instead.
