Jason Bay signing with the Mets was a shock and not a shock at the same time. Rumors have been floating around about the Mets interest in Bay since he hit free agency, but I personally thought Jason Bay would just flat out not want to leave Boston so it’s hard to believe in a sense that he’s no longer a Red Sock after the year he put up.

The main question I pose is simply- does him signing with the Mets make them a contender to overthrow the Phillies in the NL east? My answer to that is …no.

Jason Bay is a good offensive presence. He’s a good hitter who can make you pay in a variety of ways offensively with the obvious home run power- as well as being able to drive the ball the opposite way. Hitting on the road didn’t phase him last year either with 21 homers coming away from Fenway. I also don’t think his defense is as bad as advertised as I think his UZR was a little biased with the fact that he was playing left field at Fenway. I’m not going to sit here and say Bay is over rated or anything along those lines because he’s not. I like Jason Bay- I think he’s a good to great major league hitter- but when you look at the team the Mets are fielding, was signing Bay needed? They already are locked into monster deals with Beltran, Wright, Johan, and Reyes is under contract at a good market price. Now supposedly the Mets didn’t have alot of money to deal with anyway so the question I have to ask is why would the Mets spend 66 million on a player that frankly wasn’t needed.

Look at how the Mets are set up especially in terms of their payroll and downfall. Their bullpen is pretty bad if not terrible. K Rod had better rebound this year or his deal is going to loom even worse than it already is. They have no starting pitching after Johan who by the way is coming off elbow surgery himself.  They don’t have a catcher, and are stuck with Luis Castillo who may or may not stay healthy next year. 66 Million is ALOT of money when your talking about these many holes within an organization. Why not take that 66 million and go after a John Lackey a little harder. Why not take that 66 million and save it for someone like Cliff Lee who will be a free agent in all liklihood at seasons end. Josh Beckett is another one in that same boat. Are they going to have the same money next year to make a run at one of those guys for 8 figures a year? I just don’t think Jason Bay was needed in terms of the dynamics the organization is in right now. They aren’t going to outmash the Phillies next year, and they sure as heck aren’t going to out pitch Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, or JA Happ. So why? It’s just a curious sign to me because Omar Minaya has been under tremendous pressure to make a big splash this offseason. It almost seams like he made the sign simply to please the fan base. Maybe he feels he has nothing to lose. I dont know. All I do know is that Omar Minaya has made a series of bad moves dating back several years. Look no further than the JJ Putz deal. You trade a series of prospects for a guy you don’t resign…uhhhhh?

Does Jason Bay make the Mets better offensively? Yes. Does he make them a threat to win the NL East let alone the World Series? No. At least not with the holes they still have. If they sign Ben Sheets and/or Eric Bedard- we’ll re-assess the situation but as of right now…Sorry Omar but I think you fumbled the ball again.