MLB

Mets get Bay for 4 years, $66M

The Mets have reached agreement on a four-year, $66 million contract with Jason Bay pending a physical, The Post has learned.

Mets officials refused to confirm the agreement, largely because the results of a physical are not complete and the Mets do not want to embarrass themselves by confirming a deal then having to back away should Bay not pass the physical — think the humiliation and legal hassle with Yorvit Torrealba a few years back.

And the physical might not be a formality. There has been a lot of talk in the sport that the Red Sox were hesitant to do a long-term deal with Bay because they were concerned about the health of his shoulders.

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If the deal does go through, the Mets will have lassoed their No. 1 power target this offseason. Bay hit .267 last year with 36 homers and 119 RBIs. He strikes out a lot (162 times last year) and is not considered a strong defensive player, but the Mets believe his power is legit and would translate anywhere, including at large Citi Field.

Bay had been seeking at least a five-year deal. The Mets did not not bend on four guaranteed years, but the Post has been told that the fifth-year trigger for the option will not be difficult to reach if Bay is indeed healthy throughout the life of the contract.

The average value of the deal — $16.5 million annually — will be the third-largest in Mets’ history behind the packages given to Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran.

The Mariners, Angels and Giants were rumored to have interest in Bay, who hit 36 home runs with 119 RBIs for the Red Sox last season, when he made almost $8 million. He played from 2004-08 for the Pirates.

Earlier this month, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said, ““Whichever team does sign [Bay] is going to get a quality person and a quality player.”