Jay Payton thinks that Bobby Valentine and GM Steve Phillips have lost confidence in him. This is what he reads and they haven’t told him otherwise.
If this is the case, then the 27-year-old Payton thinks he may be better off someplace else.
“It’s a tough situation,” said Payton, who entered last night hitting .218 in 87 at-bats. “As Bobby said, ‘There are jobs on the line here.’ We’ve got to win now. For me, if they don’t think I’m one of the guys that can help them win, then, yeah, maybe I would be better somewhere else.”
Last night, Valentine brought Payton in for defensive purposes in the top of the seventh inning. Payton – who vowed beforehand to keep a positive attitude and be ready for his next opportunity – did bat and nearly beat out a routine grounder to short in the bottom of the eighth.
Valentine started newly-called up Mark Johnson in left last night and Nunnally in center. Melvin Mora and Darryl Hamilton -both on the DL – will also eventually see time again in the outfield.
“I’m going to get a chance to play some day, somewhere,” said Payton, who vowed to keep a positive attitude and be ready for his next opportunity. “It might be here. It might not be here. When that day comes, I’ll put my numbers up and everyone will be like, that is the Jay Payton we thought. It is just a matter of when it happens.”
Valentine said his comments were something that a player in the majors must deal with.
“It is all part of being in the big leagues, dealing with those types of reactions,” Valentine said. “I think he is strong enough to deal with them.”
It is a tough situation for Payton, a former first round pick.
“I’m frustrated,” said Payton, whose career has been hampered by two surgeries on his right elbow and one on his left shoulder. “I’m frustrated because I’ve been through a lot injury-wise and I’m finally healthy so I want to be out there every day. And the other point is that if I would’ve produced in the situations that I have had, then I’d probably would be playing right now. And I understand that.”