FanPost

Matt Holliday

It is becoming increasingly clear that Bay is playing games with the Mets. There probably isn't a mystery team. There probably isn't another offer at all. They just want Omar to bid against himself. That said, I would pursue Matt Holliday hard. He's the better player anyway, and the money spent on Holliday would be more justifiable than that spent on Bay. I am not saying that Bay is a bad player, I am just saying that we shouldn't settle for second best. So then, the question becomes how much is a fair contract for Holliday ?. Here is my take on this. In 2005, when we signed Beltran, he was the top bat / OF available. We signed him for 7 years / 119 million, which averages out to 17 per. Holliday apparently wants more than that, but I haven't seen anyone account for inflation. I did a quick calculation, and found that $1 in 2005, is worth $1.15 in 2010, so with that in mind, why can't the Mets offer the same deal to Holliday and be done with it ?. I am not saying we should offer 7 / 135 which would be the same value as Beltran and account for inflation. Matt Holliday is a great player, but he ain't no Carlos Beltran. What I am saying is offer 7 / 120 or 17 per (same as the original Beltran contract, but the inflation adjustment makes it worth less even if it is the same salary). This would accomplish a number of things. It would get the media off the Mets' back. It would put Bay on the spot, and perhaps force him to accept. Besides the whole winning thing, the Mets are shoveling shit against the tide when it comes to public relations. This may just net us Matt Holliday, and go a long way towards repairing their image. Just my two cents. Economics majors, fire away.

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