15
2012
Bay’s Return: Boom Or Bust?
An article by 
Jason Bay has begun working out in Port St. Lucie. He’s still several weeks away, but what is to become of the Mets’ outfield when he comes back?
Terry Collins said Bay will play, but not how much.
I don’t like the idea of Kirk Nieuwenhuis returning to the minor leagues or having his playing time substantially reduced. And, for the money the Mets are paying Bay, he will play. That’s always a factor, regardless of what the manager or GM says.
Part of what goes into Collins’ decision would be the Mets’ record at the time. If they are consistently winning and with Nieuwenhuis producing it would be deflating to sit him.
The Mets could bring Bay back slowly in a platoon role until he regains his stroke. And, I’m talking about the one he left in Boston, not his brief spurt before the injury.
Another scenario, and one more difficult to implement because of all the moving parts would be to rotate Nieuwenhuis in the outfield, playing a day in right, one in center and one in left, which would give Andres Torres and Lucas Duda a rest. It could also bury Scott Hairston on the bench. I believe this will be how Collins handles things.
I like Nieuwenhuis and he’s done nothing to warrant to be benched. Conversely, Bay’s track record is such that he doesn’t deserve the automatic fulltime insertion into the lineup.
The one thing we have learned since Bay’s injury is Nieuwenhuis represents the Mets’ future, while Bay does not.
Thoughts from Joe D. – During Minaya’s last months as GM, I seem to recall comments from the fan base railing against him for not cutting Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo when they still had two years left on their deals.
When Alderson took over and ultimately released both of them with a year left on their contracts, plenty of praise came his way for doing what many thought Minaya should have done a year earlier.
I wrote at the time that it was much easier for Alderson to cut ties with both Castillo and Perez because they had only one year left rather than two.
If Minaya were still GM at the time, the outcomes would have been similar.
I think Bay is where Castillo and Perez were when fans were calling for their heads.
So will Alderson play this the same exact way Minaya did?
Will he even go as far as Minaya did and even ask Bay to accept an assignment to the minors with the hope he can regain his power stroke which the team desperately needs?
Look, it won’t bother me if we keep Bay in some sort of a reduced role. But it will bother me if Bay cuts into the playing time of Nieuwenhuis or Torres.
If winning and putting the best lineup on the field is truly the top priority with these Mets, than Bay’s return form the DL shouldn’t change what has been a winning combo.
But if Alderson or Collins cave in, than we’ll know for sure where their priorities are and that not much has changed where fielding the best team possible is concerned.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 22 | 18 | .550 | - |
| Nationals | 22 | 19 | .537 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 19 | 22 | .463 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 15 | 23 | .395 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 30 | .268 | 11.5 |
Last updated: 05/17/2013
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I say you let Bay be part of a 4 man rotation in the OF but you also hand him a 1B mitt. It wouldn’t hurt to have him play a little 1B against tough LH as well. As for him not being able to play it? I think he would adjust well enough for the occasional game.
@trs86: You are spot on. Bay hitting leftys would be good for the team. I do hope that Bay gets a LONG rehab in the minors. Bay is a classy guy. It would be good for minor leaguers to see his professionalism.
Joe, that vesting option is a huge factor. the Mets have to know that the union will hit them like an anvil if they don’t give Bay every chance to make the PAs. Cutting him with a year or more left to reach it will put blood in the water.
I disagree. Performance plays a large role and if he is not performing then the PU has nothing to stand on.
I agree TRS…All they need to do is show Kirk’s Numbers compared to Bay and it’s game over on any Union Action.
They have the performance from someone else to justify it!
plus, if they release him in the off season, the option is still in play for whicher team picks him up.
And as TRS notes, as long as his #s justify a reduction in PT, the union can’t do a damned thing about it. Only way they would win is if he was having a big year, and they decided to so sit him in September to avoid PAs.
given his castillo-esque #s vs. RHP, that should not be a consideration.
anyway, it seems likely that no way he gets the 500 this year at this point, so not getting 600 next year is not really going to be that hard to manage.
That’s why to me this year was never a concern as far as PA and Bay. To me if he approached those numbers it would be because he was hitting and it’s not like they can’t deal with that problem next year regardless.
Good piece, guys… Bay may not be in the Ollie/Luis boat just yet. Sure, he’s been abysmal, but the guy tries. He does whatever he’s asked. Plus, he’s a potential power-hitter. Castillo was a slap hitter with damaged wheels. Ollie was a birdbrain who lost 6 MPH off his fastball while being insubordinate. The Mets are playing with house money right now. This is the season to experiment. A 4-player outfield rotation might be the answer.
I would be in the to hell with Jason Bay mode IF Duda and Davis were right. However, right now they need that RH bat vs LH and Bay had been exceptional so far against LH.
Excellent points. If anything, send Ike down till he’s right and move Duda to first. That helps everybody.
We need bay, his bat, and his defense , let him be in the 4 men OF rotation, and i swear you guys, a month from now, we all are happy Bay is back
LGM
Maybe platoon Torres and Bay?
When Bay’s in, Kirk will play center. When Torres is in, Kirk plays left.
I still think the 4 man rotation most likely works best but of course favoring Duda and Kirk over Torres and Bay.
I’d be weary of switching Kirk around like that so frequently. Give him a spot and stick with it.
Four man rotation is the best idea I think…This team is too LH hitting heavy and other than Wright, there on good RH bat on this team. We need to see if Bay can hit if we what to compete this year.
I said it yesterday, but if we really wanted to win, Bay, Torres and Kirk would be in the OF and Duda would be at 1st and Ike would be sent to AAA.
Bay is so awful against RH pitching that if we are moving Ike down I would rather see Murphy slide over to 1B and see what we have with V-Spin and get Turner some AB’s as well. So basically keep your 4 man rotation in the OF playing matchups and do the same at 1B until Ike is better.
Sadly, Ike is just terrible against everyone. But a four man is probably the best way to go.
No I am in favor of sending Ike down. Meant to say play matchups at 2B with Murphy sliding to 1B.
I know…listen, I’m not trying to be a hater, but I honestly am not sold on this team’s ability to keep this run going to the end of the season. I don’t think they are playing over their heads, but I’ve never been sold on the Pen and the lack of depth of this team is going to hurt them.
So as much as I want to “win now”, I’d want to make sure that we aren’t sacrificing player growth for a couple of extra wins.
If Duda is truly the RH of tomorrow, then he needs to stay in the OF
If Murphy is truly going to be our 2nd basemen, then I want him playing there everyday. Muprh is starting to look like a real 2nd baseman, I don’t want to stunt his growth anymore. Let’s be honest, is Muprh can’t play 2nd, then he’s done here…and he’s too old and too good a hitter to be still looking for a position.
I agree to an extent but I also think that you owe to the team to give Davis some time to get right in AAA and this early replacing him at 1B, Murphy would be most logical IMO.
If we were to send Ike to AAA, which I’m kinda torn on if it’d be a smart move to do…I personally think moving Duda to 1st would be the smarter move.
That would make room for Bay… it’d keep Murph at 2nd and learning…it would move a player in Duda who has the potential to produce the way a 1st baseman is expected to produce…Muprh’s bat is much more valuable at 2nd….plus Duda didn’t play that badly at 1st and has more experience…
Here’s the scary thing that we might have to consider…We’ve all been assuming that Ike is a sure thing at 1st…but lets look at his stat line…
G- 218 AB-774 H-197 HR-31 RBI-109 BB-98 K-206 AVG-.255 OBP-.337 SLG-.435 OPS-.773
It’s not bad, but he’s not this lock to be a All Star player we’ve assumed he should be…sadly, he came in hot, but many players have hit hot and faded very quickly. Maybe Ike is just another Rico Brogna?
Ike’s swing is very long and loopy…and has a lot of moving parts, including Ike’s incredible hitch when he loads up.
How funny would it be if we traded Hairston and a ML’er to the Brewers for K-Rod?
The Brew didn’t want K-Rod back, we need a closer and the Brew need position players.
Ugh… LOL. Me no want no 8M setup guy. I think our need is more at #5 starter than relief.
I’d rather pay K-Rod 6mil (about what’s left on the deal) for one year to close then keep Francisco closing.
At least K-Rod keeps his mental meltdowns off the mound…and K-Rod doesn’t care if runners are on when he’s pitching…with Francisco, it’s like any runner who gets on is an automatic run.
But yeah, adding a starter is a great idea…I’m thinking a true #2-3 level…Gee is already our #5.
Adding a good vet catcher would be nice too…
I was specifically referring to what we could get with Hairston as a focal point so I don’t think you are getting much more than a back end guy.
Ike needs to get his swing back. Feasting on AAA pitching could do that for him. Baxter and Hairston have met or exceeded expectation. They deseve to stay.
Here’s the problem,I’ve mentioned it before…when Bay comes back who leaves?
The only real options are Baxter or Hairston. We’re short on RH bats, but Baxter has hit great coming off the bench and has pretty good speed.
You could send down Valdespin, but you’d have the same problem once Tejada comes back.
Yeah and sending V-Spin down it isn’t like he was really here as an OF option although he has played it some.
To me you try and trade Hairston with something for a 5th starter or something. I could imagine the Nats would be interested in Hairston as well as a few other teams.
This comment should be here…
How funny would it be if we traded Hairston and a ML’er to the Brewers for K-Rod?
The Brew didn’t want K-Rod back, we need a closer and the Brew need position players.
I dont think the union would have too strong of a case tho. I mean its not like Bay is hitting .300 with a couple dozen rbi’s. Terrys goal is to put the players out everynight that give the team the best chance of winning, not the players who have the bigger contracts or a vesting option. Dont get me wrong I am one of the very few fans that still have faith in Bay and want him to finnaly help this team out constantly, but with the way Nieuwenhuis is playing you can not just bench him because of Bay’s option.
well, I’ll just repeat what I say every time the bay question pops up. He still hits OK (to pretty good) vs. LHP, and is useless vs. RHP. so, he can come back in an OF rotation (not a 2 man platoon) with torres/kirk/duda getting most of the PT, and Bay spotting them vs. select SPs. Beyond that, he is a RH bat off the bench.
So, he basically will just take Hairstons role. And right now, I would rather keep Baxter (the LH bench guy) and part ways with Hairston if needed, since he will be extremely redundant.
I think someone mentioned Valdespin. He is only here as long as Tejada is out, then goes back down. Frankly, he has not impressed me. Some talent under there, but he seems to be far from a real baseball player (instinct, attitude, smarts, etc.) He also doesn’t seem to be busting his arse particularly hard? In other words, doesn’t come across as any kind of BB gym rat!
How about a 5-man rotation with Ike sitting out a turn while Duda plays first. Whacky, yes. But it might be thing to get everyone to relax and get playing time.
Don’t be surprised to see them trade Torres if and when Bay gets back. He’s doing better than he did last year and you might get something good if you throw in some kids with him.
I guess. I just see more of a fit with Hairston being traded. I don’t think you are getting anything special for either one really.
The problem is Hairston has already been identified as a good clubhouse personality as far as leading the kids.
While I sure wouldn’t quibble interchanging them I don’t see them letting hairston go as quickly as Torres merely because Torres hasn’t been here as long and he is more of a starter material than Hairston is.
Trading Hairston (I love the irony of a bald guy called Hairs Ton) doesn’t really open up anything but a bench spot for you. Trading Torres opens up CF for Kirk which has a lesser domino affect on the rest of the OF.
Nice idea! Torres is at peak value now. Sandy has not shown a fast trade side though. Last year he turned down offers for Capuano and Reyes. He made no inseason moves to fill holes. I think Sandy will play what he has.
So far his only trades to date are for Pagan and Beltran…
Odd that over two offseasons thats all he has done via trade isn’t it?
Those trades were more about clearing payroll, K Rod also. In the trade with SF all the players were arbitration eligible. The reports on thier prospctive salaries proved accurate. For the pay of Pagan, Sandy filled two roster spots.
Sandy’s goal is 2014. He is letting the farm work for him. His signings and trades have been stopgap filler. Only Wheeler is in the plan. Everyone else was a longshot.
He’s not even signed through 2014 you know.
Who’s not signed through 2014 Ceetar?
well, could be anyone besides Sandy or Neise. they are the only 2 guys under contract beyond 2013 (Sandy is signed through 2014, and this is who I thought Ceetar was talking about.
Sandy has an option for 2015 as well. I didn’t know who he meant. I don’t know Ceetar.
Meant to say i didn’t know who ceetar was referring to.