I’d be very surprised if at next week’s press conference the Mets don’t present Jason Bay with the No. 44 jersey most recently surrendered by Tim Redding. And it looks also like 45 will be distributed to Kelvim Escobar, the Ex-Jay and former Angel whom the Mets signed to a make-good deal after missing most of the last two years with injuries.

Bay to me seems like a solid addition in an otherwise underwhelming field of available players but it’s entirely possible that his contract could be a burden over the longer term. He’s no Matt Holliday, but Matt Holliday isn’t that much better, I don’t think. I like the risk on Escobar, who before the arm troubles was a strikeout guy who could start or relieve and who desperately needs a new start.

I’m also okay that these moves have been largely pooh-poohed by the mainstream media who seem to want to punish the Mets for failing to compete behind the moves and roster they advocated last year. I agree with MBTN reader 9th-string catcher who in a below post commented that the theme for 2010 is “no stupid moves” as the Mets rebound from a hugely disappointing 2009 marked not only by a massive rash of injury, but by a smug overestimation of their own ability to compete.