Slump-dogged millionaire Bay will be part of platoon for Mets

For weeks, the New York Mets have defended Jason Bay, blaming his poor numbers at the plate on rustiness. Bay has never gotten going after fracturing a rib and suffering a concussion over the season's first three months.

But with Bay still scuffling, the Mets are beginning to explore other options. Manager Terry Collins said before Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Marlins that Bay will not necessarily be an everyday player going forward.

"We're going to make some adjustments out there," Collins said of Bay, who finished 1-for-4 in the loss. "We've got to get our left-handed bats in the lineup. Those guys have given us good opportunities to win some games, and they're having some pretty good years."

Though Bay played left field Tuesday, that was because the Marlins started a left-handed pitcher, Wade LeBlanc. Collins still hopes that Bay, whose career splits are significantly better against lefties, can produce in a platoon role going forward.

But Bay will no longer receive the benefit of the doubt against righties now that Jordany Valdespin and Mike Baxter both are providing the Mets with potentially better left-handed options. Bay entered Tuesday's play batting .159 against righties with a .222 on-base percentage, ninth lowest in baseball among players with at least 75 plate appearances.

Of course, none of the eight men below him have a contract even close to Bay's four-year, $66 million deal, prompting discussion that the team might eat the rest of his contract. The Mets still owe Bay a minimum of $19 million after this year and theoretically could release him, as they did with Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez before the 2011 season. But ESPN New York quoted general manager Sandy Alderson as saying that a similar plan for Bay is not under consideration.

"If I had a better leg to stand on, I could say something," Bay said. "But as of right now I don't. I don't want to be a distraction. I want to go out there and help out any way that I can."