To trace this back: there have long been rumors that Jason Bay would end up signing with the Seattle Mariners. Within the last couple days, we heard that Bay was signing with the Mariners, then we heard it would be a seven-figure contract. Then we heard it would not be a seven-figure contract. Now we hear it is a seven-figure contract. This doesn't make all of the difference, but it does make an uncomfortable difference.
Bay got $1M base from seattle w/ chance make $2M more if he's a regular. w/$21M from mets, could make $24M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 6, 2012
This has since been confirmed by Geoff Baker. Predictably, Bay is getting a low base with playing-time incentives. The difference between six figures and seven figures here could literally be as little as a dollar, but realistically, we're only worrying about a few hundred thousand dollars. For a baseball team, it's almost negligible. It doesn't seem like it should matter very much whether Bay is given a $1 million base, or a $0.7 million base.
But it sends a message. And the message is that the Mariners might really think Jason Bay has something to offer them. I guess, on the other hand:
The Mariners will pay INF Carlos Guillen $1 million in salary if he makes team plus incentive bonus related to PA.
— Geoff Baker (@gbakermariners) February 2, 2012
Bay could still get dropped between now and the start of the season. Alternatively, the roster could shift, and Bay could impress in spring training, and he could be an actual piece of actual value. This news really doesn't make much of a difference when you get down to it. It's just more money than expected for Jason Bay. It's more of a commitment overall than expected for Jason Bay. Most recently, Jason Bay has been a very bad major-league baseball player. This is a weird one. It's not a dreadful one, yet, but it's a weird one.