…do you realize it has been more than 10 days since the Mets offered a contract to a free-agent OF Jason Bay, and free-agent C Bengie Molina…
John Morosi of FoxSports.com believes free-agent catchers Rod Barajas, Jose Molina and Yorvit Torrealba will remain on the free-agent market until Molina signs a new contract.
In Newsday, Ken Davidoff writes, “According to a Mets official, if the team fails to secure Bay, it will strongly consider raising its offer to Molina. But if Bay signs, the Mets will hold a harder line with Molina.”
…do the Mets realize molina is only a four– of five-HR upgrade from what they had behind the plate last season… if they do, the should also realize making a more lucrative offer to molina, in the wake of losing bay, makes zero sense… in fact, i fail to see how one has anything to do with the other… i mean, tell me about his defense, game-calling, his relationship with the pitching staff, fine, but to talk about molina like he’s some soft of significant offense upgrade is not accurate… the Mets need to be careful here, because he can just as easily end up being a major, major rally-killer…
In a post to Amazin Avenue, the Meddler says, “Mets fans may not agree on everything, but one thing we seem to be uniting over right now is our absolute distaste for Molina.”
…as for bay, i agree with the Mets, who clearly believe he is not worth giving more than $16 million a season to, and at no more than four years… i see people suggesting bay does not want to play for the Mets… it’s a logical conclusion… though, i feel it has less to do with the Mets and New York City, and more to do with bay not wanting to play any place without a five-year guarantee…
That said, according to Joe Janish of Mets Today, when it comes to Bay, ‘No news is good news.’
…from what i understand, bay can basically take the Mets up on one of three choices, a) the four-year, $65 million deal on the table, b) $16 million per season, with a fifth-year team option, or c) a five-year guarantee, but less money per season, such as a $70 million, five-year deal, which would be $14 million per season… he wants the fifth year guaranteed, but also wants the most money, and understandably so, but, it’s just not there for him…
If Molina is going to stick to his demand for 3 years, I say it’s time to move on and focus on Rod Barajas. I think having Barajas and Blanco sharing the catching duties would be a good combo.
As far as Bay is concerned I think people should stop speculating on whether or not he wants to play in New York or not. Quite frankly, if the guy came out and said “I don’t want to play for the Mets” then I don’t want him on our team. I want a guy who’s want to be competitive and help his team win, no matter what’s on the front of his jersey.
Raise the offfer to Molina, why becauase he has better offers elsewhere? No he doesnt, and if he did, let him take them. This would be what we like to say…bidding against ourselves. :-)
I’m not thinking about whether or not Bay wants to play here. I doubt he is, he’s thinking cold cash and negotiations, and I don’t “Hmm, I wonder what it’s like in NY..” Is factoring in.
I agree that it shouldn’t matter, but almost every article I’ve read lately makes it seem like Bay doesn’t want to play here but he will if we offer him the most money.
At least at this point the Mets seem to be holding up the market for everyone and not just themselves. Good job by the Cardinals and Mets not folding when they are the only two real landing spots for Bay and Holliday.
Molina has become a joke, and he is setting himself up to be Mets fans enemy number one considering how big of a deal he is making himself out to be for a guy who will only lead the team in one way… grounding into double plays.
The Mets should look into a different catcher, a lefty reliever, and the starting pitchers market for a while. Bay and Holliday aren’t going anywhere before new years, and Molina appears to be trying to force himself into retirement.
oh and this…
“According to a Mets official, if the team fails to secure Bay, it will strongly consider raising its offer to Molina. But if Bay signs, the Mets will hold a harder line with Molina.”
yet Matt, you want us to believe that the Mets have a plan?
Does sound I they do have a plan. The plan, “Improvise,” as they go.
It’s time for Omar to give a deadline to both players and tell them that the offers are off the table once the deadline passes. Force Bay’s hand. Is there really a mystery team out there? If so, let Bay call the Mets bluff. The same goes for Molina.
Reports say that the mystery team was Seattle, but they won’t pursue Bay anymore now that they have Bradley.
They’ll just call the bluff. they know the Mets need a LF. Molina may be screwed, but Bay _does_ have leverage.
If what you are saying is true, it sounds like the Mets are erroneously assuming that there is a magic homerun total they need to reach and that the means to reaching that number is irrelevant.
I can only hope that the Mets are floating this rumor to put a little fear into both Bay and Molina, since this would insinuate that whoever signs first may get the better deal. If it’s anything more than a leverage ploy then Minaya should be let go immediately for incompetence.
I think Bay is really holding out hope that one of the west coast teams will get involved. His heart is in Seattle, and if he does come to the Mets it’s going to be somewhat reluctantly, and only for the money. I’m sure if given the choice, for similar money he’d rather be a New York Yankee and marinate in all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with it.
The net result is that Bay has been simply hiding from us … the same way I hide from my wife when I know she is going to ask me to do some kind of chore around the house that I am reluctant to start on. He knows that by responding and validating the Mets offer he’s going to dip into Tom Glavine territory – where the player’s union forces you to accept the largest offer, even if you aren’t really interested in it. Ironically, if we do sign Bay, to me it will be Glavine all over again. The guy will try – he really will – but when the heart isn’t in it there isn’t anything you can do to fake it. It’s like trying to make a loveless marriage work just because you feel morally obligated to keep it going for the sake of the kids.
I suppose if I were a GM, I would give Holliday and Boras a ring and let them know that if they were interested, they could swoop in now and steal the show. I think it would be a coupe if the Mets were to suddenly line up Holliday instead, as long as the price tag was reasonable and not insane. I would explain to Boras that because of the Bay situation, that waiting around for Bay to sign first may not be an option, and that it would have to be now. If Boras declined the offer, I would simply tell him that it was his mistake, since that would eliminate the Mets from the running and move on.
If neither Bay nor Boras were interested … I would say F it all, and just sign Carlos Delgado on the cheap (who may give you Bay numbers next year anyway), and plug something creative into LF, and go after pitching instead. I grow weary of this nonsense … and quite frankly, give me someone who is hungry to join my squad. Jason Marquis should be pursued.
Wondering if anyone had any thoughts on Holliday’s home/away splits in ’09. He slugged substantially higher while in Oakland when he was an A and while in St. Louis while he was a Cardinal. It doesn’t make sense to me how a guy can be such a better hitter at home, no matter which ball park is home at the time. at least it made sense when he was in colorado, a notorious hitters park, but both Busch Stadium and Oakland Colliseum rate in the bottom 1/3 of hitters ballparks.
Sample size. Could also be that he’s an adrenaline guy, and gets fired up when the crowd is behind him. Could also be travel wears him down more so than some guys.
Have the Cardinals heard from Matt Holliday, either?
I’m sure Boras has maintained the dialog … but the Cardinals are in a similar situation with Holliday, because Boras wants to wait until Bay has signed before really getting into negotiations. More importantly, Boras probably wants to find a spot for Damon before letting Holliday engage in real discussions. That is the Boras way …
My point is that negotiations around the league have stalled because everyone is waiting for everyone else, and the asking prices are astronomical.
Bottom line, we have offered Bay the best contract he will get all winter. He will have to accept sooner or later.
I have to ask: If Bay is plan “A” and Holiday “B” then what’s “C”? It’s really too quiet out there – someone has to start making some noise, right?
plan C is Angel Pagan and Carlos Delgado…
I don’t see a third landing spot for Bay or Holliday though, do you?
re: Bay in a nutshell
you will have
A) a guy who is unhappy with his contract here
B) you are wasting your time cause he ain’t gonna play for no Mets.
Ten days and counting.
What is plan B, Omar?
Again, we’re jumping to conclusions. It’s a staring contest…Bay wants more money. Don’t listen to these Mets-hating NY media people, they get paid to start ridiculous rumors.
Obviously,Holliday and Bay are just waiting for the other one to sign so teams like the Mets are so desperate they will give more money than they should. The pitcher shoulld have and should still be the number one priority
The thing is, once one of them signs the other will only have one team who wants him at anything near their exorbitant demands. Other teams may get involved if the one remaining team lowers their offer or considers Damon.
Damon is not be considered period! I’d rather see Pagan or even Murphy out in LF than Damon,…..turns my stomach just thinking about it!
…why wouldn’t the Cardinals consider Damon once Holliday/Bay is the only option for them?
considering Damon would be a ploy to get one of the big two to accept a deal already.
The very last thing I would do is up the offer to Molina if Bay doesn’t sign!
Reasons not to give Molina 3 years;……….he is already 36 and by far is on the downside of his career. Secondly, not only is he old but he is extremely out of shape and slow! Furthermore, we seem to be the only interested party in Molina even at 2 years! And lastly we’ve got a catching stud in the minors who will be major league ready in 1 -2 years tops! Can somebody tell me what not signing Bay does to change any of those 4 reasons????,…………..yea,.. I didn’t think so.
if anything, not signing Bay means you need more money for Holliday and less for the catcher.
I wouldn’t be surprise that Mets said they made improvements without Bay and three years given to Molina with Damon in LF.
i think both players know that their offers are necessarily going to get better … so they are ‘hoping’ that another team jumps in to raise the ante …. outside of the Yankees for Bay …. i just don’t see it happening.
I don’t either. I was wondering who else was in on Jason Bay.
Ok , i was originally a Bay supporter but now he’s dragging this on for another team to jump in or something. I’d rather not have a player on our team that doesn’t want to be there. I want players that WANT to be METS. Why beg for someone to take a 65 MILLION DOLLAR contact ! Are you serious ? Thats it , I’m going to dig my car out of the snow and hit the batting cage. Anyone wanna join ? 3 more months til spring. If you can play LF you got a shot at this point.
Mets should close a deal for Holiday (6yr/$16MM + Vesting Option) and then give Molina 2 days to answer (after agreeing with Holiday). If he doesn’t answer or accept, move on to Barajas or some other catcher. Time for the Mets to send a msg to agents out there.
Take the risk and get some respect!