Last year at this time, it was all the rage. Early in the 2014 Winter Meetings, the Mets signed Michael Cuddyer and the media loved it. A veteran hitter, former batting champ and mentor to David Wright in his youth, Cuddyer was seen as the piece that would get the Mets to at least .500 for the first time in eons. The downside was downplayed, though. He’d only played in 41 games the previous season, collecting a mere 125 plate appearances. Oh, he could still rake when he played, but it was uncertain he could actually stay on the field – think Moises Alou in 2007. And as any discussion turns when it comes to these latter-day Mets, there was the money. $21 million over two years. And because his former team had given him a qualifying offer, the signing also cost the Mets their first round draft pick. Some smarter fans thought this a bad allocation of limited resources. The smarter fans were right.
Cuddyer got off to a stumbling start, but then revved his game up as the team’s 11-game April winning streak got into high gear. He raised his batting average to .333 on April 18, after a two-for-four-with-a-double performance at home against the Miami Marlins. After that, though, we all saw his performance plummet. By the middle of May, he was down to .233 with only three home runs and he was striking out a lot, victimized by high-outside fastballs. He did slightly better through June and mid-July, but this wasn’t the Cuddyer the Mets had paid for. On July 21, he walked and scored pinch hitting in the ninth inning of a 7-2 Mets win in Washington. After that, he wasn’t seen again on the field until August 11. He had been placed on the DL with left knee pain and it was hoped that with rest, he could return to being the fierce hitter he had been in Colorado. At time he went down, the lineup certainly needed it. But that was B.Y.C.: Before Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes’s arrival obviously lessened the need for a quick recovery by Cuddyer. His performance basically nailed Cuddyer to the bench for the rest of the year. The lasting image of Michael Cuddyer’s 2015 was him butchering three balls in left field in Los Angeles in the NLDS.
We’re all suckers for comeback stories, though, so your intrepid columnist was all set. In the afterglow of the Mets’ – let’s call it “successful” — Winter Meetings, he was ready for this week’s column to be about contributions to their 2016 defense of the NL Pennant. The thought here was that Cuddyer could rebound and deliver some key blows next season. Heck, he could be this generation’s Ray Knight: the “veteran presence” coming back from a couple of years of adversity who could carry the club in some possibly tough early going. That’s what Knight did in 1986 and it was a key component in making it 1986. All set. Except that Cuddyer announced his retirement this past Friday, citing the injuries and foregoing the last $12.5 million due him. If nothing else, he was classy to the end, thanking any and all who got him this far. On the selfish side, the fans’ side, it was hoped that that $12.5 million would go toward re-signing the free agent Cespedes. Instead, $11.5 million of it went toward bringing back Jerry Blevins and Bartolo Colon.
Such is life with the Mets.
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With or without Cuddyer the Mets needed to sign a 5th starter, not having faith in Montero’s health or Verrett’s stuff, and a veteran reliever. In fact, they will sign 1-2 more relief pitchers before the winter is over. The money that Cuddyer gave Alderson back could, very much, put the Mets back in on the Cespedes sweepstakes. My only hope is that no player who was offered arbitration is on the horizon.
I agree. I don’t think it’s the annual salary that will be the issue, it’ll be the years.
What did you expect from a player who only played in 41 games the previous season? I certainly for one did not have any high hopes. His body kept breaking down and the illusion that he would somehow find his game and health once again at his age were just unrealistic. He is a classy ball player walking away from 12.5 million dollars. He could of stayed on and tried to regain his form but he chose not to. I seem to recall that Ray Knight wasn’t a walking wounded when he joined the Mets
Has it come out anywhere definitively if the Mets gave Cuddyer a buyout/severance pay? I know I read on MetsBlog where Cuddyer raved about how Jeff Wilpon and the Mets handled this. My guess is they gave him something besides a pat on the back.
But even if they did have this “found” money — Jerry Blevins and Bartolo Colon? On top of the contract for Asdrubal Cabrera?? It’s just been a tough offseason, from my POV. It’s just sad that the move to (slightly) add payroll and block my favorite position prospect is the best move since the end of the World Series.
My uninformed guess was a $5 million goodbye package. Maybe that’s too high? I certainly don’t think he walked for free. Also, yes, I read those comments praising Jeff for the classy way he handled it.
I don’t think you’re too high. My guess is $6.8 million. That would bring the total amount paid by the Mets to 15.3 million, which is the same amount he would have been paid if he had taken the qualifying offer.
My best guess is that the goodbye package was about $2.5 million. He signed a $22 million deal and was paid $8.5 mill in year one. To make it an even $11 million the Mets would need to kick in $2.5 million. I suspect that’s what they did.
Is Colon this years Cuddyer? I Was reading Colon was a good clubhouse prescience. And? At 7.25 million? Where he supposedly took less to come and play here. Are the Met’s that desperate for a 5th starter? Couldn’t they have applied those 2 signings (Blevins and Colon) towards Cespedes?
This “we should have used it to get Cespedes” nonsense is starting to get old, and it’s a sure sign that fans have no conception of what’s going on. Cespedes wants a seven year contract. That practically guarantees that he’ll be vastly overpaid the last three years. And the same people complaining about how we’re wasting money on Colon now, will be complaining about how we’re wasting money on Cespedes while we have to give up all our big five starters.
If Cespedes is willing to take a three-year contract, the team has the money to pay him. If he wants seven, the team would be nuts to give it to him.
+1!
Give him a 4-year deal with an opt-out after 2. $80 mil.
A late, very late comment on the Cuddyer signing last Winter: like so many fans, I was underwhelmed with the acquisition. However, I tempered that feeling with two thoughts: it was a terrible market for decent hitting outfielders that Winter; and with that Cuddyer signing at least the Mets were unlikely to do anything more foolish.
The market was basically Nelson Cruz and everyone else, and I thought it more than unlikely that Cruz would maintain his hot hitting in 2014 with Baltimore with a new team in a pitcher’s ballpark. So I guess you could say I got that one slightly wrong.
The good news is that I didn’t learn anything, and still think that that’s the way to bet.
I’m hoping the signing of Colon is an indication that they’re willing to save some trade assets—Colon himself…other young arms…. for in season/mid season tweak.
Then again….I’d rather a few million over pay for Cespedes, because he actually “solves” most of the identifiable need.
That might mean no Colon….use Montero or another “found arm” in the #5 slot (“Until Wheeler). …but The Troika is too Brilliant for such straight forward problem solving.
I saw a tweet from a decent source that he left it all on the table. Classy guy and poaaibly a little nuts.
I thought it was a stupid signing last winter and Charlie’s comp to old Moises is perfect. It seems like this team has alwayslived and died by that second right handed bat other than wright. When they have one – xavier nady, cliff floyd, Alou, Cespedes – the offense thrives.
Cliff Floyd hit from the left side. Other than that, your point about a right-hand bat was good.