Mets release Jason Bay

[doublem23]

They try to phrase it as if they negotiated some kind of mutually beneficial release for him, but they're stuck paying his $22 M over the next two years.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[SoxSpeed22]

Are they still paying Bobby Bonilla?

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by SoxSpeed22

Are they still paying Bobby Bonilla?

Actually, I think they are.

[Brian26]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

Actually, I think they are.

I think the Sox are still paying Julio Cruz, so it all evens out across MLB.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

Actually, I think they are.

I think his deferred payments last into the next decade.

[JoeyCora28]

Originally Posted by doublem23

I think his deferred payments last into the next decade.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/78...-espn-magazine

They will be paying him $1.2 mil./year until 2035.

[soltrain21]

Originally Posted by JoeyCora28

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/78...-espn-magazine

They will be paying him $1.2 mil./year until 2035.

What a great contract.

[JoeyCora28]

Originally Posted by soltrain21

What a great contract.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7...-espn-magazine

Here's a few more...

[spawn]

Originally Posted by soltrain21

What a great contract.

No doubt. Talk about hitting the lottery...

[Bucky F. Dent]

How did Wilpon make his money? Did he inherit?

I can't imagine that a person smart enough to make the money necessary to buy a major league franchise would be stupid enough to enter into the Bonilla contract.

[HomeFish]

So let me get this straight: they gave Bonny Bonilla $1.25 million per year for the next 25 years, and their plan was to pay for this contract by investing with Bernie Madoff?

[mahagga73]

Originally Posted by doublem23

They try to phrase it as if they negotiated some kind of mutually beneficial release for him, but they're stuck paying his $22 M over the next two years.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

That guy was a damn good player for the Pirates and Sox and then just tanked on the Met's. What happened? any theories.

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by mahagga73

That guy was a damn good player for the Pirates and Sox and then just tanked on the Met's. What happened? any theories.

Didn't he get a concussion in his first year with the Mets? That might be what did it.

[RKMeibalane]

Originally Posted by mahagga73

That guy was a damn good player for the Pirates and Sox and then just tanked on the Met's. What happened? any theories.

Actually, that's not entirely accurate. The contract that people are referring to is the deal he signed before the 1999 season. His first contract with the Mets was signed before the 1992 season. His first year in New York was subpar, but he had three solid seasons after that, making the National League All Star Team twice. He followed up his time in New York with two more solid seasons in Baltimore and Florida, reaching the postseason with both teams. He didn't tank until 1999, as age had caught up with him by that point.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

In 1999, the New York Mets reacquired Bonilla from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Mel Rojas. Again, his level of play did not measure up to expectations and he had numerous clashes with manager Bobby Valentine over lack of playing time. His tenure in New York culminated in an infamous incident during Game Six of the 1999 NLCS where the Mets were eliminated by the Braves in an eleven inning game while Bonilla reportedly sat in the clubhouse playing cards with teammate Rickey Henderson.[4]

The New York Mets placed Bonilla on unconditional waivers in 2000. He spent the 2000 season playing for the Atlanta Braves. The Mets agreed to pay out the remainder of Bonilla's contract by deferring the $5.9 million that he was due. The Mets will pay him 25 equal payments of $1,193,248.20 every July 1 from 2011 until 2035, assuming an annual interest rate of 8% during the period 2001–2035.[5]

Here are his statistics from Baseball Reference.

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by RKMeibalane

Actually, that's not entirely accurate. The contract that people are referring to is the deal he signed before the 1999 season. His first contract with the Mets was signed before the 1992 season. His first year in New York was subpar, but he had three solid seasons after that, making the National League All Star Team twice. He followed up his time in New York with two more solid seasons in Baltimore and Florida, reaching the postseason with both teams. He didn't tank until 1999, as age had caught up with him by that point.

Here are his statistics from Baseball Reference.

Pretty sure he was referring to Jason Bay.