Michael Cuddyer, who was signed to a two-year, $21 million contract in the offseason to add some punch to the Mets lineup, is now in danger of being relegated to a platoon role.
Despite having four days to rest his sore knee, Terry Collins left the slumping Cuddyer out of the starting lineup on Friday and told reporters it had nothing to do with the condition of his knee.
Cuddyer, 36, was fine with the decision and said he would adhere to whatever Collins decides as far as his role and playing time goes.
“I have said it since day one, I want to win,” Cuddyer, who grounded out in a pinch-hitting appearance in the 3-2 loss to the Cardinals. “That is the issue to me. Whatever skip feels is the best lineup out there to help us win, that is what I’m on board for.” (New York Post)
Cuddyer continues to take anti-inflammatories, and said his knee is no better or worse than it was before he departed for the All-Star break.
Hitting just .243 with a .293 on-base percentage in 79 games this season, Cuddyer has hit rock bottom over the last 23 games and is mired in a 11-for-70 (.157) stupor.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who homered three times on Sunday, started in Cuddyer’s place and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
While Terry Collins didn’t come out and say it, clearly Cuddyer has become a growing concern, and it would be shocking if Sandy Alderson isn’t already considering a straight platoon with Curtis Granderson who sits against most left-handed pitchers anyway.
That the Mets forfeited their first round pick in this year’s draft for Cuddyer, makes the situation even more stinging. That he may lose playing time to a quintessential Quad-A player who was designated twice this season is even more jarring if not embarrassing.
Collins said he expects Cuddyer back in the lineup Saturday and Sunday, but will figure out the starting outfield on a daily basis.
“We’ll see what happens, but we certainly have no plans on platooning at the moment,” Collins said.
In the meantime, the calls for prospect Michael Conforto are getting louder, as is the clamoring for adding a potent bat via a trade. And if either of those things does happen, it’s almost a cinch Cuddyer is reduced to a platoon player.
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