Man of straw
The Daily News has more about the Mets’ pursuit of Jason Bay today. John Harper:
Though all of New York seems to be waiting impatiently for the Mets to make a big move this offseason, they are negotiating at a deliberate pace with Jason Bay.
Let’s edit that:
Though all of New York me and my colleagues at the Daily News seems to be are waiting impatiently for the Mets to make a big move this offseason provide us with easy fodder to write about, they are negotiating at a deliberate pace with Jason Bay.
Done.
The impatient Met fan, this year, appears to be a bit of a straw man. I thought he was out there a few weeks ago when I wrote this post, then I spoke to him again here.
But check out the comments section on Matt’s measured, reasonable post about the Mets’ offseason so far at MetsBlog. Nearly everyone agrees with him. And if you want a good barometer for the going sentiments among Mets fans, there’s no better place to check than the MetsBlog comments section.
Anyway, what’s more important is the rest of the Daily News article. It basically says that the Mets don’t know that there’s another bidder out there for Bay, so are resisting the urge to extend their offer to five years and are trying to feel out the market for the right-handed slugger.
That’s good. Heck, that’s great. If that’s true, that’s the best thing I’ve heard about any of the Mets’ offseason processes in a long time.
I’m still not sure Bay is the absolute best fit for the Mets, but I know he’s a terrific hitter who managed to mash AL East pitching for the last couple of years and tends to pull the ball, which appears to make him well-suited for Citi Field.
I don’t know if the Mets think Bay is a better fit than Matt Holliday or just feel he’s a better value play, nor do I know how they came to whichever conclusion they made.
Either way, their patience is probably a good thing. Provided Bay is willing to play in New York and interested in making the most money, I doubt his agent allows him to sign elsewhere without giving the big-market team with the hole in left field and a clear need for a strong right-handed bat ample opportunity to beat the deal.
Luckily, Mets fans seem willing to wait it out.
