Jason Bay Signs to Play at Yosemite

My expression is better than gymnast Maroney's

One of the most disastrous free agent deals of the last decade (not as bad as Carl Pavano's) was the NY Mets signing of outfielder Jason Bay prior to the 2009 season.  It was a four year deal worth $66MM with opportunities to increase the dollar amount.

Bay went from hitter friendly Fenway Park to the spacious new Citi Field and the rest is misery. Bay made up for the loss of Manny Ramirez in Boston when he slugged 36 HRs and drove in 119 runs in 2008.  It led to a 7th place finish in the AL MVP voting and the shiny new deal with the Mets.

But Bay was constantly battling injuries in New York, the worst of which was a bad back that drained him of his power. He hit 26 home runs and drove in 104 runs over three seasons and averaged just 96 games a year.

The Mets finally gave up this off-season and released the 34-year old native of Canada on November 7th with  one year left on his deal. (The Mets and Bay reached a financial agreement that included deferred money, and Bay became a free agent.)

First things first, if you're a hitter you want to find a home ball park that is conducive to hitting.  Of course in Bay's case, team's weren't knocking down his door based on his last three seasons. The Seattle Mariners did have interest and were willing to gamble. They reached a one year agreement yesterday for an undisclosed (low) amount of money.

Yes, after playing at spacious Citi Field, Bay signed with a team whose home park is always referred to as a "pitcher's park".

Good luck with that.