Slightly More than One-Year Wonder Pt. 5: Jason Bay

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox had a problem in 2008.  That problem's name was Manny Ramirez.  He was still hitting, just as he always did, but his numbers were down and he was unhappy.  And he was causing major distractions in the clubhouse.  The team had attempted to trade Ramirez before but at the trading deadline, they finally did it.  In a three-team deal, the Red Sox sent Ramirez to the Dodgers and Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen to the Pirates.  The Dodgers sent Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris to the Pirates.  Finally, the Red Sox received two-time All Star Jason Bay from the Pirates.

Bay was more than an adequate replacement for Ramirez.  He played 49 games down the stretch and helped the team to make it to the postseason.  It went by somewhat unnoticed since Ramirez went on a massive tear to close out the season, but Bay hit .293/.370/.527 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.  What was even better was that Bay was terrific in the clubhouse.  Bay then hit three home runs in the postseason.

The next season, there was no contest as to who was the better player.  Ramirez was suspended during the season for use of PEDs and Jason Bay was an All Star.  Bay led the team in home runs and RBIs, hitting .267/.384/.537 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs.  He even stole 13 bases.  He finished seventh in the MVP race and won the Silver Slugger. 

After the season, Bay was a free agent and the Red Sox had a decision to make.  On the one hand, there was no dispute that Bay was a terrific offensive threat, but he was limited defensively.  The Red Sox already had David Ortiz as a DH, so it was unlikely that he would fit in there.  The team was also more interested in improving their defense, hence the signings of solid defensive players like Marco Scutaro, Adrian Beltre, and Mike Cameron.  The Red Sox ultimately moved on from Bay, choosing instead to sign John Lackey and allow Bay to join the Mets.  

Bay finished his stint with the Red Sox hitting .274/.380/.534 with 45 home runs and 156 RBIs.  He was a huge bust in New York though, hitting just .234/.318/.369 with 26 home runs and 124 RBIs over three seasons.