SB Nation - Jason Bay

MLB Trade Rumors: Phils Trade for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee on his way to Seattle?

raygu — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:12:11 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

2 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay is hugged by catcher Rod Barajas after Halladay threw a three-hitter in Toronto's 12-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Lots of rumors today after a boring weekend. It appears that the Phillies are talking contract extension with Roy Halladay according to Jim Salisbury from Comcast Sports, and Halladay and his agent have checked into a Philadelphia area hotel, according to Andy Martino from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here is what Salisbury wrote:

It is unclear which players the Phillies would send to the Blue Jays if the deal happens, but there were indications Monday that pitcher Cliff Lee could be traded. Trading Lee would help the Phillies get the prospects needed to complete the deal with Toronto. It would also free up $9 million in salary that would help the Phillies take on Halladay’s $15.75 million salary for 2010.

It appears the Blue Jays and Phillies may be involved in a three-team deal that Foxsports Ken Rosenthal speculated about a few days ago. Toronto could reap a bunch of prospects from the Phillies and the 3rd team, similar to how the Pirates reaped 4 prospects in dealing outfielder Jason Bay two years ago.

According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the deal is done, but no sign of what prospects the Blue Jays are getting:

3-way trade agreed to with halladay going to phils, cliff lee to mariners. phils trying to lock up roy now.
sorry, quick trigger finger. #mariners definitely the third team. checking now with cliff lee is the pltcher they get.

Red Sox sign John Lackey

Eli Greenspan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:01:20 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

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The Red Sox and John Lackey have reportedly agreed to a five year deal worth 85 million dollars, SI.com's Jon Heyman is reporting.

The Red Sox snag Lackey on a great market-value deal, giving them one of the best rotations in the AL and certainly in the AL East. After talks went south with Jason Bay, the Sox turned their attention to the starting pitcher, rather to build up their pitching instead of offense.

Lackey gives the Red Sox a lot of options down the road. The Sox can choose to go after a big name power bat, surrendering young pitching like Michael Bowden or Clay Buchholz. Or, they could let Jon Lester and John Lackey lead that rotation by making Josh Beckett available this season, perhaps using him to entice the Brewers or Padres into making a big move around Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez, respectively.

Lackey, 31, was 102-71 with a 3.81 career ERA in eight seasons with the Angels, and 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA in the postseason.

The move will likely force the Angels to step up their pursuits for Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who reportedly is in Philadelphia with his agent, presumably to negotiate a new deal if the Jays and Phils can agree to a deal.

The Angels already lost out on Chone Figgins and now Lackey puts them a couple steps back from their 2009 team. With no other legitimate starting pitchers on the free agent market, the addition of power bat like Jason Bay is plausible.

John Lackey Signs With The Red Sox. Now What For The Mets?

Sam Page — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:42:55 -0000

Per Ken Rosenthal, John Lackey is close to an A.J. Burnett-type deal with the Red Sox. I know the "Mets need pitching, John Lackey=best pitcher crowd" is going to be upset, but the Mets really didn't need another declining pitcher taking up a huge chunk of the budget.

This probably also seems like a big development on the Jason Bay front, but only sort of. It was already widely reported that Bay and the Red Sox weren't going to work out a deal, and that the Mariners are the Mets main competition. If the plan for the Mets truly was Bay or Lackey, however, expect them to warm up to the idea of a fifth year soon. More, interestingly, I think, is the impact of the Matt Holliday market. If the Red Sox opt for Mike Cameron now, who signs Holliday? The Angels?

Santana In Venezuela Applesauce - Chapman To Throw, Non-Tender-Palooza and Kendall Tweets

James Kannengieser — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:02:40 -0000

A slow weekend means abbreviated Applesauce.

Meet the Mets

Johan Santana made a trip home to Venezuela to hold his annual Cy Youngazo ("Great Cy Young") event, where he hands out Christmas presents and organizes baseball and soccer tournaments. A nice read on this Monday.

Aroldis Chapman will throw a side session for teams on Tuesday.

Jason Bay's agent says his client has moved on from the Red Sox and atleast one team has offered more than four years to the slugging left fielder.

Metsmerized interviews Brian McRae, a good guy whose greatest contribution to the Mets was being traded for surprisingly productive Darryl Hamilton.

Around the NL East

Braves blogs Talking Chop and Capitol Avenue Club provide input on the Kelly Johnson non-tendering.

The Nationals brought back Scott Olsen after non-tendering him.

The Good Phight looks at some low-risk, high-reward free agent targets.

Around MLB

Brew Crew Ball links to some of the funnier Tweets about the Jason Kendall signing.

Garrett Atkins celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday by being non-tendered. No word if the Rockies will offer him a membership to the Jelly-Of-The-Month Club as a parting gift.

McCovey Chronicles is incredulous about the possibility of the Giants signing Scott Podsednik. The first two paragraphs are gold.

While You Were Out: Amazin' Avenue Week In Review (12/6-12/12)

James Kannengieser — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:05:41 -0000

A recap of the busy Winter Meetings week:

The Time I Went To The Winter Meetings - Sam starts the week off with some storytelling. Cameos by Omar Minaya, Steve Phillips and Mileycyrustopia.
AAOP: Third Place - Congrats to Schmidtxc for winning 3rd place in the AAOP contest. There were many great plans and it was tough choosing the best.
Why Is It Called The Hot Stove? - For anyone else who didn't know.
Looking Back: Todd Zeile - Alex continues his series about formet Mets on this year's Hall of Fame ballot. Zeile's best years were behind him by the time he joined the Mets, and I secretly hated him for replacing John Olerud, but he had a nice career.
Mets Pursuing Josh Willingham And Juan Rivera? - One of the many rumor discussions that took place this week.
My Dreams Come True: Mets Pursuing 2B Adam Kennedy - Sam and many others were pleased to hear this rumor. If Castillo can be dealt, Kennedy is a solid replacement.
Adam Everett Re-Signs With Tigers - The defensive ace re-upped for one year, $1.5 million.
Hanshin Tigers Get Matt Murton? - This is a player good enough to start on several MLB teams. Good luck, Matt.
Randy Wolf Signs With Brewers - Three years, $30 million it might be a bit much, but Wolf is an above average pitcher who should help that awful Brewers staff.
Things I Would Do If It Meant Not Signing Bengie Molina To A Dumb Contract - Just get it overwith and sign him so we can move on.
AAOP: Second Place - Nice work by MangoMetsFan.
Mets Sign Mike Hessman - A rarity for the Mets, signing a three true outcomes type.
AAOP: First Place - Congrats to Evan_S for his AAOP winning entry.
Cross Rich Harden Off The Wish List - The oft-injured but oft-dominant starter was snagged by the Rangers.
Brandon Lyon Nears Deal With Astros, Bullpen Options Dwindling - Ed Wade strikes again, with the worst contract of the young offseason.
Mets Restructure Henry Blanco's Contract - A look at Blanco's labyrinth contract incentives.
Mets Extend Offers To Bengie Molina And Jason Bay - We might have a Beau Brummell in each corner OF spot.
On Hearing Of Contract Offer To Bengie Molina - Bengie is a muse to all, the Poet Laureate included.
Scott Boras For GM - A lot of people hate on this guy but he's just doing his job. A job he's great at.
A Potentially Bizarre Lineup - Walks at the top of the order, hacks at the bottom.
Who Said It? - Steve Phillips, maybe smarter than we think.
Midnight Poll: Jason Bay vs. Mike Cameron - Taking the pulse of AA readers.
So Long, Putz - Arrivederci, JJ.
Outfielder Valuation And Mike Cameron - Mark provides a nice analysis of positional adjustments and defense, and how they relate to Cameron.
Mets Rumor Mill: Possible Acquisition Tracker - A one stop shop for all Mets-related rumblings.
Why? Mets Sign Elmer Dessens To Minor League Deal - Omar: Why? Uhh, why not!

Is Jason Bay's Tenure In Boston Over?

Randy Booth — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:24:32 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Jason Bay, right, is congratulated by third base coach DeMarlo Hale (35) after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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With the latest contract offer extended to Jason Bay denied, some people think there's little to no chance of Bay going back to Boston:

Jason Bay's tenure with the Red Sox appears over.

The free-agent left fielder has rejected the team's latest offer and is entertaining better proposals from other clubs, according to his agent, Joe Urbon.

"We don't agree with their evaluation of the player," Urbon said. "Frankly, we have other offers on the table that are of greater interest to Jason."

Urbon left open the possibility that the Red Sox could circle back in the negotiations, but did not sound optimistic that it would happen, saying Bay was prepared to "move on."

But honestly: how much do we actually know about Bay, Urbon and the Red Sox?

Rosenthal is one, but there's more that agree -- for the most part -- with the sentiment. MLB.com's Ian Browne, via Twitter:

At this hour, it would be a very big surprise if Jason Bay ends up playing in Boston in 2010.

Boston.com's Chad Finn:

So who's platooning with (Jeremy) Hermida in left?

After seeing Mark Teixeira sign with the Yankees last offseason, nothing really comes as a surprise any more when we're talking baseball free agency.

We don't even know what the Red Sox offered Bay for a contract. We haven't even heard confirmation from anyone other than Bay's agent Urbon that the Red Sox even extended a contract. With Bay's willingness to play in Boston, I'd have no reason to believe that if the Sox came to Urbon with a competitive contract, Bay wouldn't want to sign. After all, it could be a couple of million dollars that is the difference in all of this.

Essentially, we know no details about anything, so why jump to conclusions? The only person that knows anything is Urbon and we have no idea what he's holding back, if anything.

Jason Bay could be the Red Sox's 2010 left fielder. Or maybe not. I'd say it's 50/50 right now, because honestly, what do we really know?

Jason Bay Rejects Red Sox's 'Latest' Contract Offer

Randy Booth — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:58:53 -0000

More photos » by Eric J. Shelton - AP

She is NOT a Teixeira woman. I am telling you that right now.

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Jason Bay has rejected the Red Sox's latest offer, but no word what that offer actually was:

Jason Bay rejects Red Sox's latest offer. Agent Joe Urbon: "We have other offers on table that are of greater interest to Jason."

One would think the offer was better than the Red Sox's four-year, $60 million contract they offered originally, but no word on what the new terms were.

Also, the quote by Urbon is a little misleading. This is what he actually means:

"I have other offers on the table that will pay me a lot more money." *

*NOTE: Not actually said by Urbon...

How Does Jacoby Ellsbury Fit Into This Offseason Puzzle?

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:07:49 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

4 months ago: Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury dives unsuccessfully for a fly ball hit for a single by Baltimore Orioles' Aubrey Huff during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 31, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Many observers of the Red Sox this offseason have pegged them as a team on the hunt for defense. This is not an outrageous claim—last year the Red Sox ranked 16^th in the league defensively by UZR, with notable deficiencies at 3^rd (second worst in the league), center field (worst in the league), and left field (6^th worst in the league). Between the 3 main starters at these positions, the Red Sox gave up over 40 runs more than they would have by inserting replacement-level defenders at the position.

So far, though, one has to question just how well Theo and co. are doing at achieving their goals. The only major signing of the postseason so far has been Marco Scutaro. Talk all you want about consistency or stability at the position, but last year the revolving door of shortstops did combine to post a slightly positive UZR—better than Marco Scutaro has put up in 2 of his past 3 years.

Theo's most compelling move on this front has yet to even happen yet. By shipping Mike Lowell and his awful defense to Texas, the Sox are almost assuring themselves an improvement at 3^rd base. If, as many expect, they were to sign Adrian Beltre, the improvement would be astronomical. Exchanging a whole year of Lowell at 3^rd for a whole year of Beltre should be worth a net gain of over 20 defensive runs. Of course, the wisdom of signing Beltre lies largely in his offense, and how much they can avoid the Scott Boras overpay. But that's a story for another article.

The real question has to be the outfield. If rumors are to be believed, then Theo would be perfectly content to go into 2010 fielding the same starters as he did in 2009. Can a team that claims to be focused on defense really accept two fielders who aren't just not good, but in fact at the bottom of the barrel?

Now, left field in Fenway is always going to be something of an anomaly. If you're going to sacrifice defense for offense anywhere, it may as well be somewhere where the only fly ball going over the defenders head are either bouncing off the wall or going for 4 bases. This isn't to say that Jason Bay is a victim of the Monster—he was no great fielder in his last season-and-a-half in Pittsburgh either—just that any defensive considerations in left have to take a backseat to offense. No, the main concern is in center field.

For all the world, Jacoby Ellsbury looks like he's a defensive star. His diving grabs make regular appearances on top-10 lists, he has speed enough to cover the large territory in center, and he's not prone to careless drops or tragic misplays. And yet, advanced defensive metrics will tell you that he is in fact the single worst center fielder in the majors. Observing the young speedster in action will reveal that the reason behind this—as has been discussed so many times before—is that he gets bad breaks on balls, often having to completely reverse direction after the ball is in the air, costing him valuable time and wasting much of his speed and glove.

Perhaps Theo and the front office expect Ellsbury to improve his reads next year. Maybe they think he was just off in 2009, and that he'll be back strong in 2010. But if not, what are they doing? It's puzzling why the Sox would claim to focus on defense, and then ignore their single biggest defensive problem. Especially with viable options out there. The Detroit Tigers actually crafted a seemingly perfect solution for the Sox, offering them a 1-for-1 deal: Ellsbury for Curtis Granderson, who would have been a huge defensive improvement with similar offensive production (or superior if he rebounds, as his low BABIP would predict). Even now, Mike Cameron is an available free agent. A switch from Ellsbury to Cameron last year would have been worth more than 20 runs! And with two center field prospects in Reddick and Kalish projected to be ready within the next 2 years, Cameron's age would not be an issue. And, if the Granderson offer is any indication, Ellsbury still has plenty of trade value depending on the GM and their adherence to the new statistics.

I expect I'll get plenty of disagreement on this. Whether from the anti-UZR crowd, the steal-obsessed, or the legions of young girls who have proposed marriage to Jacoby—even if only by means of cardboard sign. But this is how our front office works. It puts importance on the stats that reflect poorly on Ellsbury, and consider things like steals to be relatively unimportant. Maybe they know something we don't, but if not, then their silence on this front is both very odd, and very worrying.

The NL Central Offseason Revue: Ursine Children

the red baron — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:43:23 -0000

Sure, I've used it before. It's a good picture, damn it.

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But first, a story. (Just so you know it's a Baron post.)

Last weekend, my mother and I went shopping. The Cherokee Street Antique Row Association was holding their annual Cookie Spree, and we go every year. There's always people milling around, free hot apple cider, and most of the shops are decorated.

We met up in South County, deciding it was a better idea to take one car. Mom tends to get motion sickness when not driving, so I generally just ride with her. We headed up 55 toward the city, then exited at the 4500 block of Broadway.

At the bottom of the ramp was an old woman holding a sign. A square of cardboard scrawled all over in black marker, I couldn't read exactly what was written but the message was clear nonetheless. It was cold out, and the ragged old overcoat she was clutching around her looked woefully inadequate. I've been conned before, I'm sure, but this was no panhandler. This was an old woman with no place to go who badly needed help.

We came to a stop at the bottom of the ramp, and I dug out my wallet. Mom reached for her purse, and I told her I would get it. I opened my wallet and grabbed the first two bills in it, a ten and a twenty. Then, guided by some internal calculus I don't at all understand, I put the ten back. I handed my mother the twenty, she motioned the old woman over, and gave it to her. The old woman said something, toothless mouth moving quickly, blessing us and wishing us well, but by then the car was moving and I couldn't entirely tell what it was. We continued on our way, had hot chocolate and apple cider and cookies. I bought an antique light fixture; it seemed like a fine day.

I tell you all this not to make you think I'm some sort of saint for giving this old woman twenty dollars, but because ever since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about the ten dollars I didn't give her. I had almost $300 in my wallet that day, and a credit card nowhere near the limit to boot. In no way, shape, or form would that extra ten dollars have hurt me, yet I put it back. And worst of all, I don't understand why. I like to think I would do whatever it takes to help someone in need, but apparently that only goes so far. Apparently there's a price on my generosity, and it's painfully low. A truly good person would have been willing to hand over everything they had in hand and never thought twice about it; I certainly didn't need another antique to litter my already cluttered house.

We went back the same way later, on the way back to my car, but the old woman was gone. I hope what I gave her was enough to help, but I can't stop thinking about that moment, when I arbitrarily decided the limits of how much I was willing to help another human being.

I've had these posts in mind for a while now, trying to take a look around the division at our rivals and what their offseasons might look like, but simply hadn't had the chance to do so yet. With my inability to post a full post on Wednesday, I thought I might ask Dan if he minded me taking today. He seemed amenable to the idea, unsurprising given the dearth of real meat to work with this time of year and what is undoubtedly a crowded schedule for everyone. So here I am, telling you what the Cubs need to do this winter.

I begin with the Cubs because they are our chief rivals and also because it simply fits. We care more about the Cubs. So here we are.

As the Cubbies head into their first offseason with new ownership, the question of payroll undoubtedly must be raised. Their new owner, Tom Ricketts, has pledged to update the stadium and build a winner, but just how much one will impact the other remains to be seen. For now, it looks as if Ricketts is willing to pour money into the franchise in order to win, and we'll have to operate under that assumption.

Offense

The Cubs' offense took a huge hit last season from the high times of 2008, due to several players underperforming. Alfonso Soriano was the biggest culprit, stumbling to an OPS+ of 84 after three seasons over 115. Geovany Soto went through an awful sophomore slump, falling from a 118 OPS+ to 79. Aramis Ramirez missed significant time with a shoulder injury, and Derrek Lee struggled mightily early in the season before turning it around.

There were bright spots, such as the improvement Kosuke Fukudome made from his first season in the majors or the continued non-suckitude of Ryan Theriot, but overall it was an intensely disappointing season for Chicago at the plate. In 2008 the Cubs scored 855 runs; in 2009 they plated only 707. Enough said.

Starting Pitching

If the Cubs' offense was decidedly disappointing, the pitching was underwhelmingly good. Carlos Zambrano continued his human roller coaster act, yet still managed to post an ERA under 4.00 for the eighth straight year. Nonetheless, the Big Z is no longer quite the intimidating force at the front of a rotation he once was. He's still solid, but he doesn't really scare you anymore. (Well, unless you happen to be something edible or punchable in the dugout, that is.)

Ryan Dempster fell off from his 2008 performance, but was still a plus pitcher for Chicago. He was awful much of the early portion of the year, but came on strong late to lower his ERA to 3.65. Dempster provides much-needed innings, and at a reasonably high level. After Z and Dumpster, though, things get a bit murkier.

Ted Lilly, a relatively unsung contributor to the Cubs' back-to-back division titles, has had shoulder surgery already this offseason. It was minor shoulder surgery, yes, but then again, I'm not entirely sure there is such a thing. Lilly was absolutely brilliant in 2009, posting a 3.61 FIP, but until he can prove his shoulder is unequivocally sound, he has to be a concern.

Perhaps the brightest spot of all for the Cubs in '09 was the performance of their rookie hurler, Randy Wells. He went 12-10, 3.05 in his first extended taste of the majors at 27. His peripherals were mostly in line as well, so it doesn't appear he did it all with smoke and mirrors. Still, Wells is a relatively unknown commodity, and may simply be waiting until the time is right to give up a crippling home run, then rip open his jersey, revealing the Cardinal jersey underneath. So there's that.

The Cubs' fifth starter spot was, for the most part, a disaster. Sean Marshall continued to impersonate Sean Marshall. The Cubs acquired Tom Gorzelanny from the Pirates, and he picked up basically where he left off in Pittsburgh. There were positives in his performance, but for the most part it was another disappointing season for the man once voted Most Likely to Actually Live Up to His Billing among all Pittsburgh left-handed starting prospects.

Relief

Carlos Marmol is sort of the pitching equivalent of a British motorcycle. Yeah, it's a whole lot of fun when it's working, and it certainly looks impressive, but damned if the thing isn't broken down and spilling oil all over your driveway more often than not. Marmol has some of the nastiest stuff in the game, but not much idea where it's going a fair amount of the time. Hitters did a much better job of laying off his slider in 2009, and he had a tough time throwing it for strikes. He still struck out a bunch of hitters (93 in 74 innings), and didn't give up many hits (43), but he also walked 65 hitters, leading to a 1.46 WHIP fueled almost entirely by batters simply standing there and doing nothing.

Kevin Gregg was solid, though not the force the Cubs were undoubtedly hoping for, and he has now departed via free agency. Angel Guzman was impressive, combining a repertoire just a step down from Marmol's with actual control, but he remains very young and was shut down late in the season with an injury. Neal Cotts was, um, how do I put this?- shitty, only to be replaced as the primary lefty by John Grabow. Grabow did what he always does, and should be a definite plus in the 'pen for 2010.

Jeff Samardzija continued his enigmatic career arc, following up his 2.28 ERA in 2008 with a 7.53 in 2009. Sure, he's talented, but at some point Samardzija is going to have to come up with something more than a big fastball and a passing resemblance to Andy Samberg if he wants to succeed at the major league level.

Needs

Any discussion of the Chicago Cubs' offseason has to begin with the outfield, where they badly need to figure things out. Milton Bradley wasn't a bad player for them in 2009; on the contrary, he was probably still their best outfielder, but all signs point to him being dealt this offseason, and I'm not sure I can blame the Cubs. As much as Bradley wasn't the problem with the team this year, I just don't know if his relationship with the fans, not to mention his teammates, is a tenable one.

If Bradley is dealt, the Cubs will have to come up with someone to try and replicate his offensive contributions, and several names have been floated. Rick Ankiel was thought to be their first choice until fairly recently, but things seem to have cooled slightly on that front since Scott Boras made his comments about multiple years and big dollars for Swingin' Dick's services. The Cubs don't seem to have much interest in Matt Holliday, perhaps being a bit gun shy after witnessing how horribly wrong a seven-year deal for an outfielder can go. They also haven't been mentioned all that much in the Jason Bay sweepstakes, so I have to assume they're looking at lower-hanging fruit.

Beyond the outfield, it's somewhat doubtful the Cubs will be able to make any substantial upgrades to their offense. Both corner infield positions are set, and rightfully so. Soto will be looking for a bounceback season; it's far too early to write him off as a one-year wonder. The only spots the Cubs could look to upgrade are the middle infield positions, but I'm not sure how much help is really available at those spots this offseason. Perhaps the Cubbies get involved in trying to trade for Dan Uggla? They do have an exciting young middle infield prospect in the pipeline named Starlin Castro, who has garnered plenty of comparisons to Edgar Renteria, and could draw interest from Florida, but little beyond that.

The bullpen has to be an area of concern, and priority one has to be sorting out who will at least begin the season as the Chicago closer. Marmol, I'm sure, will have the inside track on the job, but after his 2009 performance it shouldn't be a foregone conclusion. I doubt the Cubs will go outside the organisation to find a stopper, but it's likely they'll try to acquire at least an arm or two to bolster the overall depth of the 'pen.

Priorities

Deal with Milton Bradley situation. Trade is most likely outcome.
Acquire offensive upgrade to replace Bradley's production. Left-handed hitter would be desirable.
Shore up bullpen, likely through trades. (Bradley?)
Look at other possible offensive upgrades, i.e. Uggla or Mark DeRosa as utility player.
Acquire 5th starter/ insurance arm for Ted Lilly.
???
World Series title.

The Bottom Line

The Cubs are by no means in dire straights. They underachieved badly last season, but the offense should receive a boost from a full season from Ramirez and, hopefully, better years from Soriano, Soto, and Lee. The same can't really be said for the pitching, which performed right about where one would expect, given the talent level. The starting rotation will remain their biggest strength, while the bullpen remains somewhat suspect.

At this point, the Cubs have to be considered the Cards' main competition for the division again in 2009. Both teams are clearly a step or two ahead of the pack.

There you go, folks. One in the can, four to go.

The Baron's Playlist for the 11th of December, 2009

"The Blizzard" - Camera Obscura A cover of the Jim Reeves/ Johnny Cash classic. Any CO fans out there (and I know there are some), you might want to check out their holiday 7" release, with the Blizzard backed by Swans.

"My Wife and My Dead Wife" - Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians

"Oh You Pretty Things" - Peter Noone I just heard this on Pop! The Beat Bubble Bursts yesterday morning, and I can't stop listening to it. It's a Bowie cover by the former Herman's Hermits frontman, and it has a bit of an early Harry Nilsson vibe to it. Really great.

"Intermezzo Sinfonico" from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana - James Levine

"Take On Me" - A.C. Newman Another tip of the hat to KDHX, this time to Nick Acquisto and the Space Parlour. Outstanding cover of the A-Ha classic.

Edit: And, of course, on the day I write this, some actual news comes down the pipeline, as the Cardinals have now apparently made an official offer to Scott Boras and Matt Holliday. Sigh. They couldn't have waited just one more day? Really?

MLB Trade Rumors: Jason Bay to the Mets?

raygu — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:00:28 -0000

by Rob Carr - AP

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SI.com's Jon Heyman reported, via Twitter, yesterday that the Mets are not going to get into the bidding for Matt Holliday, but did make a bid for slugger Jason Bay:

#mets didnt want to get into protracted talks with holliday. also believe bay, as pull hitter with loft, fits citi field OK about 5 hours ago from web
#mets offered #bay 4 years for about $65 million, give or take. they'd probably have to bump it to 5 yrs to get him.

It was also reported that the Mets made an offer to catcher Bengie Molina. The Mets apparently want to sign one of the three biggest free agents in this year's free agent class.

Should the Mets sign both Bay and Molina, they would have a pretty solid lineup:

Jason Bay

Bengie Molina

Jeff Franceour

Daniel Murphy

Bay has never hit at the new Citifield, but as a Pirate, he went 5-15-.303-.382-.576-.957 at the old Shea Stadium. Bay's career home/road splits are a picture of consistency as he has hit .282-.387-.507-.893 at home (PNC Park and Fenway Park) and .278-.366-.532-.898 on the road in his career.

Bay's 2009 season was very productive even though his BA was a low .267. He went 36-119-.267-.384-.537-.921. Bay's BB% (15%), K% (30.5%) and ISO% (.269) were all at or close to career highs for him. Bay benefitted from a 49.1% FB% and a 19.7% HR/FB% in 2009.

Shouild Bay sign with the Mets, I do not see him hitting 30 HRs in 2010, but can see a solid 25-100 season from him assuming the Mets don't experience the numbers of injuries that plagued the team in 2009.

I was trading emails with Fake Teams reader DB11 today, and we agreed that Bay's NL-only league (UBA) auction value could be in the $30-$35 range in 2010 should he sign with the Mets.

Poll

SB Nation - Jason Bay

MLB Trade Rumors: Phils Trade for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee on his way to Seattle?

Red Sox sign John Lackey

John Lackey Signs With The Red Sox. Now What For The Mets?

Santana In Venezuela Applesauce - Chapman To Throw, Non-Tender-Palooza and Kendall Tweets

While You Were Out: Amazin' Avenue Week In Review (12/6-12/12)

Is Jason Bay's Tenure In Boston Over?

Jason Bay Rejects Red Sox's 'Latest' Contract Offer

How Does Jacoby Ellsbury Fit Into This Offseason Puzzle?

The NL Central Offseason Revue: Ursine Children

MLB Trade Rumors: Jason Bay to the Mets?

Can Jason Bay hit 30 HRs in 2010 playing his home games at Citifield?