Mets Would Be A Lot Better If Jason Bay Was Just Decent

Of course, they'd probably be a lot better (and contending for first place in the NL East) if David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana weren't all injured. But with all the praise, and deservedly so, that Terry Collins has gotten for having the Mets above .500 this late into the season, I can't but think how if Jason Bay was just having an average season in 2011 we'd be a lot better. I mean, even with his grand slam yesterday Bay has 20 RBI's for the season--that's how bad he's been. Consider that Prince Fielder leads the NL with 68 RBI's and Jose Reyes, batting from the leadoff spot all year, has 12 more RBI's than Bay does. In other words, the fact that after 79 games, the Mets are 40-39, despite Jason Bay being a phenomenal bust, makes for Terry Collins being a certified genius.

Jason Bay Is Hurt Again

Listen, when a team is as bad and as poorly managed as the 2010 Mets were I don't think even having a healthy Jason Bay would've mattered much. But what with everything going on with the owners, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana out for a few months, the last thing the Mets need right now is Jason Bay starting the season on the DL. While he deserves a mulligan for last year (consider too how much he had to adjust his swing to the planet that is Citi Park) Bay needs to prove himself in 2011, much less start justifying the Wilpon's giving him that huge contract. Injuries are injuries, but in this case it's so what we don't need right now.