Jason Bay hit .267 with 36 home runs and 119 RBI in the 2009 season with the Boston Red Sox. On the back of this performance, Bay has earned himself a new contract with a new team.

This time, it’s a 4 year, $66 million contract with the New York Mets. This is not the final amount of the contract, however. A vesting option for a fifth year makes it possible for Bay to make $80 million over 5 years.

The Red Sox looked like they had no choice but to let Bay go since they spent about $100 million on Mike Cameron and John Lackey combined.

Argue with me all you’d like but a .267 batting average is not enough for me to give out that kind of money. Bay is a great player and will add a much needed spike to the Mets’ offense and defense, but it is tough to justify that price-tag.

Don’t tell Creative Artists Agency (CAA) that the company is #2 to anyone in any sport.  They just don’t want to hear it.  Even in baseball, where Scott Boras is known as the king of the diamond.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported earlier this week that in a phone interview with CAA baseball agent, Joe Urbon, the agent stated that Jason Bay is “the most complete player on the market.”  Quite a bold statement by Mr. Urbon, who was well aware that some guy named Matt Holliday is also a free-agent going into the 2010 season.  Should Bay be given the edge because he had to compete in a very tough AL East while Holliday went from a mediocre AL West to a soft NL Central?  It is true that Holliday did struggle quite a bit in the AL.  He only hit 1 homerun in the first month of the 2009 season

Boras’ response: “Holliday is the only young complete free agent player available.”  I added the emphasis.  Interesting sly tactic by Mr. Boras, who subtly noted that his client, Holliday is 29-years-old, while Bay is 31-years-old.  You better believe that this factor, alone, drives up Holliday’s price.

I think it is smart for Urbon to make comparisons between Bay and Holliday.  It will only drive up the price of his client.  Let’s just hope that this is not an Urbon vs. Boras competition that stems from past experiences like the notorious case of Tacoby Bellsbury!

Alvarez is compared to Manny Ramirez and could certainly be worth that much over time. Other equivalent draft picks such as 2008 1st overall pick Tim Beckham, signed with Tampa Bay for a $6.15 million signing bonus.  The Pirates are not likely to go much higher than that.

After trading Jason Bay, Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady and others, it looks like the past ten years have been rebuilding years for the Pirates.  They have consistently been shedding good players and clearing salary cap space.  Pittsburgh has a young lineup, especially after gaining Neil Walker, and Adam LaRoche. They claim to be building for the future.  Wouldn’t signing the second pick of the draft, Alvarez, be a great way to build for the future?  Alvarez has made all the right decisions and is a first class talent.  If the Pirates let this guy slip through their fingers, I don’t know who they will ever spend money on.