A Jason Bay Solution

This year with the Mets, Jason Bay has hit .308/.421/.519 with a home run every twenty at-bats and an extra-base hit every nine-and-a-half. Oh wait. That's what he's done against left-handed pitching. That's pretty good! Of course, in three times as many at-bats against right-handers, he's hit a paltry .223/.287/.326. That's awful. Now let's make things a little more interesting: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, at the head of the line of Mets minor-league outfielders, is left-handed. So is Fernando Martinez, a long-time top prospect. So is Lucas Duda, currently manning the corner of Citi Field's spacious outfield opposite to Bay. That really, really looks like a situation that calls out for some platooning, doesn't it? I've been advocating the release of Bay, but honestly I think with numbers like those against lefties we'd be much better served just making him share some playing time. It's just a thought.

In fact, it's a thought that gives me a pretty decent idea of what to do with the entire offensive side of the team. You'd have catchers Thole and Paulino, infielders Davis, Tejada, Reyes, Wright, Murphy, and outfielders Bay, Pagan, Duda, and Nieuwenhuis. That's 11 players. There are two people who can play every position. With very little sacrifice of quality any which way, you could get down to one righty (Wright) against a right-handed starter or two lefties (Davis and Duda, both of whom handle lefties well) against a left-handed one. Overall it's four righties, five lefties, and two switch-hitters. There's room for two more bench players. As far as I'm concerned Nick Evans ought be one of them, and I'd love to see Scott Hairston back, though I imagine there are plenty of competent thirteenth-man types. I think it adds up to a pretty compelling offense, honestly, and not even a very expensive one.