The Red Sox are red-hot. So is a former Red Sox player.
Jason Bay, who signed a four-year, $66 million deal with the New York Mets last December, is tearing the cover off the ball in May.
The slugging left fielder is hitting .325 this month with two homers, 13 RBIs and six steals. His OPS has risen from .811 at the end of April to .835 and his home run stroke has finally come around after being absent for much of the season.
The Red Sox acquired Bay from Pittsburgh on July 31, 2008, in the three team mega-deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers.
Bay went on to hit .293 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 49 games for the Sox that year and was an integral part of Boston’s 2008 postseason run, when it eventually lost in Game 7 of the ALCS to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Last season, Bay impressed everyone in Red Sox Nation by being named to the AL All-Star team as well as winning a Silver Slugger award. He finished the year third in the AL in homers (36), second in RBIs (119), third in walks (94) and ninth in OPS (.921).
It was no surprise that Bay was one of the more sought-after free agents on the market last winter, but the Red Sox decided to let him walk.
The Mets are happy they did.
