Obviously getting production out of Bay would be the best case scenario. That would help now and could facilitate a trade of the K-Rod variety though, not Beltran.

Should his bat not come around by June 1st I’m afraid he will be a serious candidate for a platoon with Kirk or even Lowen. Other events could keep him on the field full time though including injuries to the OF or Davis’ illness, Torres ect but baring those situations come June 1st a non productive Jason Bay probably has about 10 days till he’s on the short end of a platoon and defensive replacement and not just to avoid 500 AB’s and the option but just in general to help the team win.

Come 2013 Duda, Kirk, Lagares, Den Dekker and even Ratliff could be here or 2 months away so if he’s not looking like he’s ever going to turn it around the hook could be quick.

Bay gets hurt and Kirk comes in and plays well is about the only scenario where Kirk takes significant time away and maybe forces Bay to WIN his job back full time.

But barring that I don’t see anyone taking major playing time away from Bay even in a platoon!
I would but then again I’m not cutting his checks!
I think they will do everything and give him every opportunity to take advantage of those new fences because if he has respectable HR numbers again he also becomes tradeable again!

though ig anything, if Scott can’t go, could make it more likely Kirk gets a starting gig and torre is the bench guy?

I guess we shall see though.Does weaken the bench, and would leave Bay as the BU CF (if Hairston isn’t able to play and they don’t add another CF)

specific to Kirk, I really can’t see them keeping him for a PH role. But, it is very possible for a LH hitting OF to get a lot of PT with the Mets. Start a couple times week in LF for bay and CF for torre. Defensive replacement in RF some days. Not FT PT, but well more than what a Willie Harris would get.

Still, more likely (and my preference) to have him start in AAA and pile up the ABs (he did miss 1/2 the season last year). By say 6/1, you will pretty much know what Bay or torres can give you, and at that point can make a move if the relative performances warrant it.

And I really think that it will go in stages. Starter, platoon, bench/released. Assuming of course they never manage to work out a trade for him.

We are currently short an OFer on the 40 man roster though. Duda, Bay, Torres and Hairston are 4, Lagares and Puello aren’t ready yet so that leaves just Kirk without taking a guy off the 40.

It may be in his hands but Bay could even be in trouble here in ST if he doesn’t show anything. What would you do, take a guy like Flores, Puello, Lagares, Armando Rodriguez, Valdespin, Lutz or Satin off the 40 if you think it’s a pretty good chance Bay stays the same as he has?

Dumping him this year if you make that determination would hopefully mean your not on the hook for his option vesting if he were to get 500 AB’s this year and next or 600 in 2013 alone so that could be a very viable strategy to not only get better play in the present but avoid a 16 M commitment in 2014 as well. For those who say ST alone is not enough time you may be right but he’s had two years here as well.

Do I hope he makes it? Yes.

Let’s see him play some games first. He might bomb out, nobody knows yet, but they’re already talking about what’s gonna happen to him.

I would love to see him, but I think I would rather Torres play well right now. It’s always good to have a problem of too many players for one position, rather than too little.

Were playing kids at virtually every other position anyway other than 3B and LF so why not

But all of this talk is premature if you ask me.
All dependent on him playing so well they can’t possibly send him down!
And if that happens why bother cooling him off on the bench? Play the kid!
Let Torres beat him out for the job!