Category: Latest News

Mets Introduce Jason Bay At Citi Field

WBC Photo Day: Canada

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Today was the dog and pony show that the Mets held for Jason Bay at Citi Field. The 31 year-old will be entering his eighth big league season. His career 162 game average slash line is .280/ .376/ .519. The Mets will be the fourth team that he’s played for after San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Boston.

This post is filled with multi media from today’s festivities including audio and video. You’ll get more than your fill of Bay from this post to last you until spring training.

The Mets did the right thing by making offense a priority this offseason. I know that some of you think the rotation is the biggest weakness. But the Mets already have resources committed to the rotation, they just need to get them producing on the field and add a middle/back of the rotation piece.

There’s still going to be some fanfare for the Mets, but nothing on the level that Bay brings. I expect Bengie Molina to sign eventually when he realizes that nobody is going to offer him a three-year deal. And I also expect a starting pitcher to sign with the Mets before the end of this month.

We’ll get to those signings when they happen. Today is Bay’s day with the Mets. The audio and video is after the break.

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Report: Kevin Mitchell Tax Problems

Kevin Mitchell #31

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In a report for the Detroit News it’s reported that former Met Kevin Mitchell owes $4.2 million in back taxes to the state of California. Mitchell joins former teammate Ron Darling in running afoul of tax authorities. Mitchell played for the Mets in ‘84 and ‘86 before he was traded to the Padres for Kevin McReynolds.

It was always rumored that Mitchell was traded away for being a bad influence on the team, and most notably Dwight Gooden. In Gooden’s 1999 autobiography Heat, he described a frighteningly horrible situation involving Mitchell decapitating his girlfriend’s cat.

If the story is true, the Mets made the right call in trading Mitchell away despite the fact that he later went on to become the 1989 National League Most Valuable Player for the Giants. He was also an All-Star for the Giants in ‘89 and ‘90.

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Jason Bay Physical, Darryl Strawberry Apprentice, And More

New York Yankees vs New York Mets at Citi Field in New York

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Things are finally starting to heat up this offseason for the Mets. Jason Bay is in the house and due to be introduced tomorrow at a press conference. But that’s not the only action going on after a slow start for the Mets.

  • NY Post– Bay passed his physical in spite of past knee and shoulder problems
  • Mets.com– Former Met and current SNY broadcaster Darryl Strawberry will be in this year’s cast of “Celebrity Apprentice”
  • Amazin’ Avenue– A tweet from Jerry Crasnick of ESPN has the Mets and Red Sox talking about a Luis Castillo for Mike Lowell trade
  • Remembering Shea– A great picture of sunny, warm Tradition Field to get you fired up for spring training

Talk back in the comments below about the Castillo for Lowell trade. I like it. Although I think that I’d like any trade that moves Castillo at this point. Lowell could be a nice platoon at first base and we know he’s a solid citizen in the clubhouse who has overcome a lot in his life.

Links: Mafia And The Mets, Jason Bay And More

Citi Field at Night

Image via Wikipedia

I haven’t been posting links to good Mets reading lately and I’d like to get back to that in 2010. So here we go in no particular order:

  • James Fanelli of NY Post– This is a good article on the sketchy construction firms that the Mets used to help build Citi Field.
  • John Delcos’ New York Mets Report- Predicting the 2010 Opening Day starting lineup and batting order
  • Amazin’ Avenue– They’re doing a good series on the Mets All-Decade team including this link on third base
  • Ken Belson of NY Times– He writes a good piece about fellow Mets fans and their displeasure with the team leading to slow season tickets sales in December
  • Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated– This is a good column on why the Mets had to get Jason Bay this offseason
  • Beyond The Box Score– This is another good slant on Bay signing with the Mets and how the last couple of years of his contract will likely have Bay getting paid much more than his performance value
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Video: Jason Bay Signs With Mets

Jason Bay at a game between Orioles and the Re...
Image via Wikipedia

The Mets finally bagged Jason Bay for 4-years/$65 million with a vesting option that could take it to 5-years/$80 million. That’s a fair deal in my mind. Surprisingly, the Mets didn’t bid against themselves to overpay for Bay. I would guess that the impetus for Bay signing now is that Mark DeRosa signed with the Giants already. So there was one less suitor for Bay.

If you’ve been reading this site for a while now, you know that Bay or Matt Holliday in left field was my priority for the team. So… “mission accomplished” to quote George Bush. Now it’s time that the Mets move on to resolving the starting catcher and a middle/back of rotation starting pitcher. If they could trade Luis Castillo away for a bag of balls I’d be thrilled too.

Video is after the break. Continue reading “Video: Jason Bay Signs With Mets”

Video: Jason Bay To Red Sox Still Possible

Cesar Izturis and Jason Bay

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

I’ve included some ESPN video with Jerry Crasnick after the break for you on the slight possibility that Jason Bay winds up back in Boston. Although I seriously doubt that’ll happen, mostly because the Sox already got Jeremy Hermida and signed Mike Cameron. The Red Sox are just under the luxury tax for 2010 and they’d be paying a 22.5% premium if they went over. I can’t figure out how Bay makes sense for them unless they unload Hermida and Cameron.

Crasnick goes on to say that the Giants and Angels are still in the mix for Bay but I think the Mets are his best option financially. Speaking of financially, the video includes some info about Matt Holliday and the Cardinals. How can they open the vault for Holliday when Albert Pujols is a free agent next year? They can’t. Don’t be surprised if Holliday/Scott Boras come back to talk to the Mets before all of this is said and done.

Video is below the break.

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Kelvim Escobar Signs With Mets

BOSTON - OCTOBER 5: Kelvim Escobar #45 of the ...

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The Mets signed Kelvim Escobar off the scrap heap but the real surprise is that they gave him a Major League contract. Escobar has only pitched in one game in the last two seasons due to shoulder problems. But he has had a nice career in the American League. He’ll be this spring’s version of Freddy Garcia or Livan Hernandez. That is, seeing if he still has enough to pitch in the big’s at 33 years-old.

Escobar spent his first seven seasons in Toronto, coming up in 1997. He’s a Venezuelan that most recently pitched with the Angels. So I would assume that the Mets got some feedback from Francisco Rodriguez about him before the signing. Who would know him better than K-Rod?

If you look at Escobar’s split stats, he’s very consistent versus lefties and righties. He’s also pitched five games in his career against the Phillies going 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA. He also seems to have the most trouble from pitches 1-30 in his career, once he gets past that point in the game he’s pretty formidable. Maybe he can rekindle some of that old magic.

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