Michael Cuddyer told reporters that he will wear uniform number 23 with the Mets, proudly worn by former Flushing notables Doug Flynn, Bernard Gilkey and Mike Baxter.
Though predominantly a right fielder, Cuddyer said he will play wherever the Mets decide, and Curtis Granderson pretty much echoed those same sentiments.
He believes the Mets are ready to compete in post season play and are dedicated to winning, hence his decision to sign with them, “I believe the time is now for us,” he said during his introduction to the New York media.
“As hard as it is for some to believe it’s not always about the money,” Cuddyer said. “This is one of those cases. Just the excitement of coming to the East and coming to the Mets, that was the biggest attraction. You get to the point where I’m at in my career, you start to think what’s important. One, to win, and one, to be closer to home. I think both of those issues were nailed in this signing, for me, at least.”
Cuddyer said all the right things yesterday…
November 11
After the Mets stunned the baseball world and stealthily signed Michael Cuddyer to a two year, $21 million dollar deal, reactions ranged from those who loved the move to those who hated it. Here’s a short mix of what we saw.
Joel Sherman, New York Post
Cuddyer is not a back-breaker. He costs $21 million, but the 15th pick in the draft probably would cost about $2 million, so Cuddyer really costs around $19 million. I am sure the Mets hated losing that pick. But a 2015 draftee helps them in 2018 or later, and at some point these Mets had to stop promising contention in a far-off time. They have win-now pitching and frustrated fans.
Barry Svrluga, Washington Post
For New York, they now have a middle-of-the-order bat to help protect third baseman David Wright. But what to make of Cuddyer? Before winning that batting title two years ago, he had never hit better than .284 in a major league career that began in 2001 with the Twins. His OPS the past two years (with Coors Field as his home): .929. His OPS prior to that: .795. Even though they’re bringing in the fences at the Mets’ Citi Field (again), wouldn’t the second number seem more likely in 2015? And that says nothing about the 2016 season, when Cuddyer will be 37.
John Ricco, Asst. GM New York Mets
“I don’t think that it’s any secret that we’re looking to improve offensively. We thought this was a way to clearly upgrade our team and our lineup. We’re looking to turn the corner here and start to compete in 2015. I think this is a message that we’re going to be aggressive. Right out of the box, we had a guy we liked, and we went out and got him.”
Jeff Sullivan, FanGraphs
The Mets like Cuddyer a lot more than Steamer does. They have to, or else their decision doesn’t make a lick of sense. Over the last five years, out of right fielders with at least 2,000 innings, Cuddyer’s ranked second-worst by UZR, and first-worst by DRS. The Mets might think Cuddyer will fare better in left. Odds are, the Mets paid Michael Cuddyer a little too much. Steamer projects him for the same WAR as Matt den Dekker.
Jon Morosi, Fox Sports
Credit new Rockies GM Jeff Bridich: His first major decision was to extend the QO to Michael Cuddyer, and the move worked beautifully.
Aaron Gleeman, NBC Sports
Michael Cuddyer is 35, awful defensively, and from 2012-2014 he missed 206 of 486 games while hitting .286/.332/.463 away from Coors Field.
Walt Weiss, Rockies Manager
It’s tough to lose Cuddy because of the person he is and the player he is. We wanted to have him back. We made the qualifying offer, mostly because we wanted him back, one way or another. But when players hit the free-agent market, it’s tough to predict. Cuddy still has a lot of value in this industry, for good reason. But I’m sure he’ll give the Mets fans a lot of excitement. He’s a good one.
Keith Law, ESPN
LOL Mets
Jared Diamond, Wall Street Journal
Cuddyer, who will turn 36 in March, fills several of the Mets’ needs: He provides a power bat from the right side of the plate and solves their issues in the corner outfield. He brings experience and leadership to a young clubhouse, and his skill set fits with the Mets’ offensive philosophy of patience and working counts.The decision to pursue Cuddyer despite the draft compensation attached to him provides clearer insight into the Mets’ thinking as they continue to address the roster that won just 79 games last year.
David Schoenfield, ESPN.com
There is probably some added value for the Mets to make a playoff push now. The Yankees have failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons and seen their attendance and TV ratings decline the past few years — with a slight increase in attendance in 2014 only due to Derek Jeter‘s final tour. But without Jeter and with the possibility of the Yankees slipping under .500, the Mets have a great opportunity to win back some fans with a good season.
MLB Talent Evaluator, Newsday
Has a great sense of himself offensively and as a player. As he ages, he still has a quick enough bat. Yet he is able to cheat on good fastballs up in the zone with a knack for getting a piece of the good pitches still. Can turn on average fastballs and possesses a good two-strike approach. He’s always a dangerous out as he battles well and has upgraded his knack to read breaking pitches. If healthy, he can still hit .300 with a .350 on-base, 20 homers and 85 RBIs as a legit No. 5 hole hitter.
