The Boston Red Sox and Mike Cameron look to be finishing up the details on a two-year contract. That, along with yesterday’s signing of John Lackey, takes the out of the market for Jason Bay.
Bay, who turned down a four-year, $60 million offer from Boston, now only has one formal offer on the table. That offer is from the New York Mets, worth $65 million over the same amount of time.
Most reports indicate that Bay really, really wants a fifth year, and the team that offer it to him may be able to snag him quickly. With the top free agents quickly flying off the shelves, the Mets may have to spring and offer that extra year to land him.
But why didn’t the Red Sox offer another year?
Do they know something no other team does? Is there an injury they know about, or at least some nagging pain?
Do they just not like his defense? (But they’re an AL team and could slot him into the DH spot if need be.) Or did they just not want to go five years, like the Mets are hesitant to do.
I don’t have a definitive answer, just something to munch on this Tuesday morning.
Added – 10:23 a.m.: From the Boston Herald…
Reports early yesterday suggested the Red Sox had enough medical red flags to justify not going five years for the outfielder, who had shoulder surgery in 2003 and knee surgery in 2007. According to the source, those concerns have not been echoed by other teams that have examined Bay’s medical records.
Thanks to Ian from Sox and Dawgs for this link.