Sports in brief: Mets make splash with Bay

Baseball: The Baywatch is set to begin at Citi Field.

Free-agent slugger Jason Bay and the New York Mets have reached a preliminary agreement, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Bay must pass a physical for the deal to be completed. The three-time All-Star is expected to sign a four-year contract for about $65 million.

Bay, who played at Gonzaga University and North Idaho College, set career highs with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs last season for Boston. The 31-year-old outfielder is a lifetime .280 hitter and has averaged 30 homers and 99 RBIs in his six full seasons in the majors.

Bay fills a huge hole in left field for the Mets, who skidded to a 70-92 mark during an injury-plagued year. They especially needed a bopper after hitting a major league-low 95 homers in the first season at their spacious, new ballpark.

The deal was first reported by WFAN.

Bay produced in his 11/2 seasons with the Red Sox, but the sides couldn’t agree on a new deal. The Mets wound up landing a top free agent – a bat they needed and the kind of splashy move their fans demanded general manager Omar Minaya make.

Bay and left fielder Matt Holliday were the biggest hitters on the market.

Holliday, who split last season in Oakland and St. Louis, is seeking an even richer deal than Bay.

Associated Press

Ex-Eagle great Maurstad dies

Football: Dick Maurstad, recognized during 2008 as one of Eastern Washington University’s top 100 players, died of cancer Dec. 22 in Clarkston. He was 92.

Maurstad, a running back, lettered at Eastern from 1936-39 and played on teams that were a collective 24-7-1. He attended the Sept. 27, 2008, ceremonies in which Eastern honored its “100 for 100” all-time team.

Maurstad worked for 30 years in the Pasco and Clarkston school districts as a teacher, coach and administrator. He retired from education in 1975 and spent 10 years as a sales representative for Learning World.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Martha, two children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were Sunday.