What would you do for $6 million?

For the average person, the list would be almost endless.

For $6 million, Jason Bay would play in one of the most challenging ballparks and for one of the most poorly run and badly financed teams in baseball.

On December 9, 2009, the New York Mets announced the four-year, $66 million contract with Bay, adding one of the best offensive players in baseball.

Bay was coming off a season in which he hit 36 home runs and drove in 119 RBI for the Boston Red Sox.  Boston wanted to resign Bay and offered him four years and $60 million to stay. They refused to go to a fifth year and Bay instead took the extra millions to play for the Mets.

$6 million.

That’s what separates Bay from the futility of the Mets and the first place Red Sox.

Think Bay wants to go back and do things differently?

Since joining the Mets, Bay’s name has steadily climbed the list of worst contracts in Mets history.  When they added Bay, the Mets were supposed to be adding a huge power bat for the middle of their order. No one would fault them for adding Bay, and surely not even Citi Field could contain Bay’s power.

At the very least, Bay’s numbers would be huge on the road and more focused on batting average and on base percentage at home.

At this point, Bay would probably pay $6 million for a home run.

Bay is batting just .241 with two home runs and nine RBI in 32 games this season.  His numbers with runners in scoring position are stomach-churning. Bay is batting just .161 and he has just six RBI in the month of May.

His last home run came on May 13 in Houston.  That’s almost impossible for a guy who averaged 30 home runs and 99 RBI from 2004-2009.  Yet Bay continues to hold down the fifth spot in the Mets starting lineup.

With Ike Davis and David Wright on the DL, and Jose Reyes on the bereavement list, the pressure on Bay to step up is beyond comprehension.

But in reality, the Mets have been waiting a year and a half for Bay to show up.

In his first season with the Mets, Bay managed just six home runs and 47 RBI before his season ended because of a concussion on July 31. He had as many triples (six) as home runs.

Wright experienced a similar power outage in Citi Field’s inaugural season in 2009. Wright hit just 10 home runs, after hitting 33 in the previous season.  But Wright bounced back in 2010 to hit 29 home runs and drive in 103 runs.

Bay hasn’t shown any signs that he’s capable of putting of the numbers that earned him his big payday from the Mets.

It’s that big payday that’s keeping Bay on the field at this point.  Manager Terry Collins kept Bay out of the lineup yesterday just to give him a day off.  If only Collins had a suitable replacement to play every day.

Bay should count himself lucky that Willie Harris couldn’t find water if he fell out of a boat because if he, or Scott Hairston, were hitting, the cries for a platoon in left field would be deafening.

But there’s always that salary to consider.

Bay makes $18 million this season and the Mets are at the point now where they’re basically playing a check in left field, not a baseball player.  The Mets would love to find a taker for Bay in a trade, but no one is going to touch that salary.

For now, the Mets are going to have to suffer with Bay and hope he can either start producing for them, or at least somehow boost his trade value long enough to pull off a deal.  I wonder how much Bay would pay to get out of New York.

Maybe $6 million?

The 2011 New York Mets’ rotation has been in a state of flux with injuries to Johan Santana and Chris Young, and the inconsistent performances of Mike Pefrey, Chris Capuano and RA Dickey.However, Dillon Gee has kept the rotation afloat in times of despair. 

The 25 year-old Gee, a 21st round draft pick, improved his record to 5-0 after giving the Mets another quality start against the Pittsburgh Pirates last night. He allowed three runs on five hits, one home run and no walks while striking out five in seven innings of work. He lowered his ERA to 3.83 for the season, and he has exceeded expectations.  

I didn’t think too much of Gee’s quick cup of coffee with the club late last season. His ERA in five starts was 2.18, but he benefited from a .225 BABIP and 80.7 percent strand rate. His peripherals did not indicate much future success—his strike out rate came in at 4.64 K/9 and he walked 4.06 batters per nine innings. His xFIP of 5.00 did not indicate future success in the majors.  

Despite his lack of overwhelming stuff—his fastball averages 89.4 mph—Gee relies on the use of his change-up to keep hitters off balance. He has thrown the pitch at a 28 percent clip (compared to 16.8 percent last season) and hitters only made contact on 59 percent of the pitches (the lowest among his repertoire). 

Gee’s peripherals have vastly improved by posting a 7.09 K/9 and a 3.45 BB/9. He has dropped his slider to the fourth pitch in his repertoire throwing it 4.6 percent of the time (15.4 percent in 2010), while he continues to throw his curveball at 9 percent. This shift has a resulted in a jump from 7.9 to 10.4 percent in his swinging strike percentage. 

Like last season, Gee has benefited from an above average BABIP (.241). However, his 69.3 percent strand rate suggests that his performance cannot be chalked up to luck. This isn’t a large enough of a sample size to suggest Gee will become a viable major league starter, but one cannot argue the significant boost he has provided the Mets. Let’s just say there have been pitchers who have carved out nice careers with worse stuff than Gee has shown in 2011.    

Ruben Tejada is playing so well that the Mets will be faced with a tough decision once Ike Davis and David Wright are ready to return.

Tejada was in the competition for second base this spring, but the organization wanted him to play everyday shortstop so he could be an insurance plan for Jose Reyes.

Tejada has been a magician with the glove, which has been the norm since his call-up last season.

However, this year, he’s also off to a .316 clip. He won’t drive in many runs, but he has found a way to get on base.

If he keeps up his torrid hitting, the Mets may have to find a way to keep him on the roster.

NEW YORK, May 30 (UPI) — Rookie Dillon Gee continued his hot start for the New York Mets Monday, recording his fifth straight victory in a 7-3 win over Pittsburgh.

Gee (5-0) held the Pirates to three runs on five hits over seven frames to become the first rookie starter in Mets history to begin a season with five straight wins. The right-hander issued no walks and struck out eight.

New York broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning on Josh Thole’s two-run double off Daniel McCutchen (1-1) while Daniel Murphy and Angel Pagan each added three hits and an RBI.

The Mets were playing without starting shortstop and leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, who was given a bereavement leave after the death of his grandmother.

Charlie Morton gave up three runs (one earned) on 11 hits before exiting after six innings for the Pirates, who fell to 0-8 all-time at Citi Field.

Chris Snyder had two hits, including a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.

NEW YORK – Missing most of their regulars, including Jose Reyes, the New York Mets got pesky at the plate.

Josh Thole hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the depleted Mets, playing with a makeshift lineup minus their sweet-swinging leadoff man, beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Monday night.

“They just tried to put good swings on the ball. They’ll take singles, if that’s all they can get,” New York manager Terry Collins said.

Dillon Gee (5-0) pitched seven solid innings, striking out a career-high eight in the rookie’s latest impressive outing. The Mets also had another productive day on offense even though they’ve gone nine games without a home run — their longest drought since a nine-game stretch in June 1982.

New York banged out a season-high 17 hits Sunday to prevent a three-game sweep by Philadelphia, then followed up with 15 against starter Charlie Morton and the Pirates.

“We’ll try to ride this wave as long as we can,” Thole said.

This time, the Mets did their damage with only three regulars in the lineup for the opener of a four-game series. Reyes was placed on the bereavement list earlier in the day following his grandmother’s death and left fielder Jason Bay was given a planned day off.

The only projected starters in the lineup were Thole, right fielder Carlos Beltran and center fielder Angel Pagan. Third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis are on the disabled list.

No problem, apparently. Daniel Murphy had three hits for the second consecutive day, while Pagan and fill-in shortstop Ruben Tejada also had three singles apiece.

“It’s been fun to watch, I can tell you — the big hits,” Collins said. “I just think these guys have rallied around each other and said, ‘Look, we’ve got to go do it ourselves.’ And they’ve hung in there and played hard and played good defense.”

Chris Snyder hit a two-run homer in the second inning for the Pirates, who dropped to 0-8 at Citi Field. He helped give back those runs, however, with a pair of passed balls in the bottom half.

With the score tied at 3, Beltran drew a four-pitch walk from Daniel McCutchen (1-1) to start the seventh. Murphy followed with a single and, one out later, Thole doubled home both runners with a drive to deep right-center.

The young catcher clapped his hands after rounding second base, and the Mets had a 5-3 lead. Thole matched his career high with three RBIs on Sunday — after beginning the day batting .182 with runners in scoring position.

McCutchen entered with a 0.40 ERA, the lowest among NL relievers.

“The biggest thing for me in that situation was I was just trying to get the ball up in the air,” Thole said. “I hit the ball on the ground enough tonight, I said. I was going to try to get one to the outfield and it just fell in the gap.”

Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect eighth and Francisco Rodriguez worked a scoreless ninth — with help from Pagan, who made a terrific catch just in front of the fence near the 415-foot marker to rob Neil Walker of extra bases.

“I asked him, `Is that the guy I’ve been waiting to see?’” Collins said.

Gee allowed three runs and five hits while walking none in a matchup of young starters who have enjoyed early success this season. The right-hander retired nine in a row after Snyder’s homer, including five straight strikeouts, and did not allow a ball out of the infield before Ronny Cedeno’s one-out single in the fifth.

“It’s nice to have those strikeouts. It’s not because I was going for it, it just happened tonight,” Gee said. “My changeup was pretty good tonight and I was throwing fastball-changeup all night and it worked out.”

The Mets are 7-0 in Gee’s starts, making him the only major league pitcher who has made at least five starts this season without his team losing any of them.

“For a guy who’s that young, at this level, nothing bothers him. He gets the ball back and keeps pitching,” Collins said. “I actually thought his stuff and his command got better from the fourth inning on.”

Morton went six innings, giving up a career-high 11 hits but only three runs — one earned. He struck out four and walked none.

“I noticed that they weren’t really trying to do too much, and that’s the kind of lineup that’s tough,” Morton said. “I think I did a good job of minimizing it, but at the same time it makes it a long night.”

Pirates starters have gone 11 consecutive games without allowing more than two earned runs.

Thole’s double was New York’s first extra-base hit. Justin Turner added an RBI double in the eighth off Daniel Moskos and scored on Murphy’s groundout to make it 7-3.

“They just him ‘em where we weren’t. I think they got eight groundball hits,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said.

NOTES: Pittsburgh put catcher Ryan Doumit (left ankle sprain) and infielder Steve Pearce (right calf strain) on the 15-day disabled list and selected the contracts of catcher Dusty Brown and infielder Josh Harrison from Triple-A Indianapolis. RHP Ross Ohlendorf was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. … With Reyes out, Tejada moved from 2B to SS and Turner shifted back to 2B. Willie Harris started at third and batted leadoff. He made a leaping catch and a diving play on defense.

NEW YORK – Even against a makeshift lineup, Charlie Morton and the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t stop the New York Mets from slapping one ball after another through the infield.

Josh Thole hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the depleted Mets, minus Jose Reyes, beat Pittsburgh 7-3 on Monday night, dropping the Pirates to 0-8 at Citi Field.

“They just him ‘em where we weren’t. I think they got eight groundball hits,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said.

Dillon Gee (5-0) pitched seven solid innings, striking out a career-high eight in the rookie’s latest impressive outing, and New York had another productive day at the plate.

The Mets banged out a season-high 17 hits Sunday to prevent a three-game sweep by Philadelphia, then followed up with 15 against Morton and the Pirates.

“I was in a position that I just didn’t want to be in very often,” Morton said. “Guys in scoring position, guys on the bases all the time. I feel like I pitched out of the stretch 90 percent of the time.”

This time, New York did its damage with only three regulars in the lineup for the opener of a four-game series. Reyes was placed on the bereavement list earlier in the day following his grandmother’s death and left fielder Jason Bay was given a planned day off.

The only regular starters in the lineup were Thole, right fielder Carlos Beltran and center fielder Angel Pagan. Third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis are on the disabled list.

No problem, apparently. Daniel Murphy had three hits for the second consecutive day, while Pagan and fill-in shortstop Ruben Tejada also had three singles apiece.

“I noticed that they weren’t really trying to do too much, and that’s the kind of lineup that’s tough,” Morton said. “I think I did a good job of minimizing it, but at the same time it makes it a long night.”

Chris Snyder hit a two-run homer in the second inning for the Pirates, then helped give back those runs with a pair of passed balls in the bottom half.

“The one curveball was a cross-up and the other one, I just butchered it,” Snyder said.

With the score tied at 3, Beltran drew a four-pitch walk from Daniel McCutchen (1-1) to start the seventh. Murphy followed with a single and, one out later, Thole doubled home both runners with a drive to deep right-center.

McCutchen entered with a 0.40 ERA, the lowest among NL relievers.

“I don’t think he’s going to finish the season with a 0.38 ERA,” Hurdle said.

Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect eighth for the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez worked a scoreless ninth — with help from Pagan, who made a terrific catch just in front of the fence near the 415-foot marker to rob Neil Walker of extra bases.

Gee allowed three runs and five hits while walking none in a matchup of young starters who have enjoyed early success this season. The right-hander retired nine in a row after Snyder’s homer, including five straight strikeouts, and did not allow a ball out of the infield before Ronny Cedeno’s one-out single in the fifth.

“That’s just been one of the problems we’ve had all year, the swings and misses,” Hurdle said. “We have got to do a better job of putting the bat on the ball, making better outs in some instances, too.”

The Mets are 7-0 in Gee’s starts, making him the only major league pitcher who has made at least five starts this season without his team losing any of them.

“He had a good mix going. He had a good changeup,” Snyder said.

Morton went six innings, giving up a career-high 11 hits but only three runs — one earned. He struck out four and walked none.

“Morton lived up to everything I’ve heard about him and saw about him,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “That is as good a sinker as I’ve seen in a long time. When you’re hitting the top half of that baseball all the time, you’re not going to get a lot of extra-base hits. Fortunately we scored some runs, but he’s really tough.”

Pirates starters have gone 11 consecutive games without allowing more than two earned runs.

Thole’s double was New York’s first extra-base hit. Justin Turner added an RBI double in the eighth off Daniel Moskos and scored on Murphy’s groundout to make it 7-3.

The Mets have gone nine games without a home run, their longest drought since a nine-game stretch in June 1982.

NOTES: It was Snyder’s second homer in three games. … Pittsburgh put catcher Ryan Doumit (left ankle sprain) and infielder Steve Pearce (right calf strain) on the 15-day disabled list and selected the contracts of catcher Dusty Brown and infielder Josh Harrison from Triple-A Indianapolis. RHP Ross Ohlendorf was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. … Mets RHP R.A. Dickey remains slated to make his scheduled start Tuesday night. Dickey left his last outing at Wrigley Field with an injury to his right foot and was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia.