RedSoxCollector

News reports say the Red Sox have offered Jason Bay a four year, $60 million dollar contract.  

I expect Theo is doing more than testing the waters here.  Chances are good that at least a couple other teams will offer Bay more money.  My guess is that Theo wants to know up front if J-Bay will take that kind of cash in order to stay with Boston.  I think if he responds that he wants to see what else might come his way in terms of a larger contract, Theo will fold his hand and begin the search for a replacement right away.  

Good or bad?  Bay was certainly more than a place holder for Manny last year.  This year his HR and RBI numbers remained very good with career highs of 36 HR and 119 RBI but the average was down at .267 and he was 1 for 8 in the post season.  He seemed to perform well in the clutch early on, but became inconsistent as the season progressed.  He played well in the field, with no errors in 325 chances and had 15 assists.  

If my perception of Theo's thought process is right, I agree with him.  If we can wrap Jason up for 4 years at $15 mil per, great!  If he feels the need to market himself to squeeze out a couple mil more, goodbye and good luck.  Then we look for a replacement.  

Thoughts?  Will J-Bay take the offer?  If not, who do we pursue to put in left field?