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Jason Bay rumors: Red Sox return as possibility

Outfielder Jason Bay is a free agent, and the Red Sox may be on his list of possible destinations.

By Craig Powers
Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Mets agreed on a buyout with outfielder Jason Bay on Wednesday, making him a free agent. The outfielder is now free to sign anywhere, and Boston may be on his list of desirable places, according to MLB Daily Dish. He would prefer to play out West, but Bay has spent time with the Red Sox before.

Bay spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before the team dealt him to Boston in the summer of 2008. The outfielder played a total of 200 games with the Red Sox. In 2009, he hit 36 home runs with a .921 OPS and was worth 4.9 WAR.

Injuries have limited Bay considerably since that time. He played 123 games in 2011, his highest among the three seasons he spent with the Mets. He was a shell of his former self in 2012, posting just a .536 OPS in 70 games.

If the Red Sox were to sign him, it seems like a situation that would warrant a low base salary augmented by a number of incentives. No team is likely to gamble that Bay will return to his past production.