Jason Bay continues to play like his old self, and with 12 days to the non-waiver trade deadline, interest in the Pirates’ slugger is at an all-time high.
Speaking to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel, Bay expressed satisfaction with his performance:
"I feel like I’ve gotten back to that guy who I’ve been in the past, and that’s gratifying. But there’s also some trade-talk stuff that comes with it. It’s a Catch-22. I knew coming in that it would be this way."
The teams that Biertempfel mentioned as showing interest in the left fielder include The Mets, Braves, Rays and Diamondbacks, but Bay was poised when asked if he had any particular interest in a destination:
"There really is nowhere in particular that I really want to go," Bay said. "I don’t want out (of Pittsburgh). I like the familiarity, and I like the direction the team is headed."
According to Biertempfel, the Pirates could still decide to give Bay an extension and build around him.