New York Mets land Jason Bay
The New York Mets had one very important off-season goal, to add a power hitter to their lineup. While they had a litany of other things t accomplish, this one feat was of the most important. The Mets just finished a 2009 campaign where they hit fewer home runs than any other big league team. On top of that their attendance was down by around a million fans, even though they opened a new ball park. Of course some of that was due to the cross town New York Yankees winning another World Championship.
Really though 2009 was a miserable season for the Mets. They finished with a 70-92 record, could not stay healthy, and really had a long list of things they needed to improve. First on that list was a power hitter, and a guy with whom this team’s fans can start to identify. Jason Bay is that guy. He hit .267 with 36 home runs and 119 RBI with the Boston Red Sox last year. Place those stats in a lineup with Carlos Beltran, Alex Cora, and David Wright and the Mets might have something special. Granted if they can stay healthy for the coming 2010 campaign.
While the contract will not be official until Bay passes a physical here is a look at the details. It is a four year deal worth 66 million dollars, with a reported vested option for a fifth year. While that sounds like a lot of money, the Mets addressed their greatest need for far less than they have in recent times. Handing out hundreds of million of dollars to guys like Mike Piazza, Johan Santana, or Carlos Beltran.
