Cuddyer!

[Edgy MD]

Mets got the coveted 36-year-old.

Totally un-Sandy-like to dive in the first day of the GM meetings.

Fierce dimples.

[seawolf17]

!!

[Guest d'Kong76]

We'll see... lotta people here high on him.

[Edgy MD]

[youtube:3515hda8]vgQ-jrehP_A[/youtube:3515hda8]

[Ceetar]

I personally doubt the Mets give up their first round pick for just Cuddyer, suspect this means they'll at least be in on other Qualifying offer guys.

Cuddyer is getting older, but he's very much above average (49% last year in 200AB) so you give a little on defense but are getting quality plus a solid guy to play at first against some lefties and maximize Duda as well.

[TransMonk]

I like the depth and versatility.

I'd like to see the dollars, but I'm glad Sandy pulled the trigger instead of worrying about the possibility of losing a pick.

[RealityChuck]

Big surprise. I guess they're looking to not worry about as prospect who'll be ready in four years and not give up any of their pitchers.

Let's just hope this works out. The Mets' luck with established free agents has been terrible.

[Centerfield]

We should have lost more games. Stupid deGrom.

[Zvon]

Well, this is the least they could do to make me happy. I'm curious to see what the most is...

[Guest themetfairy]

Together again -



D-Dad is thrilled about this. I'm more skeptical. Time will tell.

[Ceetar]

Claudia Cuddyer

[Frayed Knot]

I would have thought the qualifying offer was going to put an end to the pursuit of Cuddyer, but obviously it didn't.
I like the two year length of the deal - better than either one or three IMO.

Ceetar wrote: I personally doubt the Mets give up their first round pick for just Cuddyer, suspect this means they'll at least be in on other Qualifying offer guys.

I don't quite get this statement. They're giving up pick #15 next June because of this signing no matter what else they do. If they also opt to sign some other player who has received the minimum QO then they'll give up their 2nd round pick as well. If that happens, which one will be because of Cuddyer and which is from Player X hardly matters.



Now the speculation turns to thoughts of the pitcher-for-SS variety.

[Centerfield]

I wonder if this will be it in terms of adding a middle-of-the-lineup bat.

I hope it isn't. But I suspect it will be.

None of the SS trade proposals interest me at all. I'm fine with Reynolds/Flores/Tejada.

[Valadius]

Hey, if they have a shot at Tulowitzki, I would take it.

And this from a guy who generally hasn't liked trades.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: I personally doubt the Mets give up their first round pick for just Cuddyer, suspect this means they'll at least be in on other Qualifying offer guys. I don't quite get this statement. They're giving up pick #15 next June because of this signing no matter what else they do. If they also opt to sign some other player who has received the minimum QO then they'll give up their 2nd round pick as well. If that happens, which one will be because of Cuddyer and which is from Player X hardly matters.

Right. Just speculating on if they're "in" on other top free agents. It seems less likely to give up a first round pick _just_ for Cuddyer, but if you've got bigger plans and will possibly be losing it anyway..

[Edgy MD]

Just completely going against character for the Alderson-era Mets to sign the first big free agent of the offseason. A guy with a qualifying offer as an alternative, no less.

Two years. I guess we know it's likely more than $10 million per, and likely less than $15 million.

[TransMonk]

Cuddyer, 35, will earn $21 million in the deal -- $8.5 million in 2015 and $12.5 million in 2016 -- according to reports. +

http://espn.go.com/newyork/mlb/story/_/id/11854223/new-yok-mets-sign-michael-cuddyer-two-year-deal

[Valadius]

If those numbers are true, they'll hope for big production and then sell high at the trade deadline.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Go Mets

[Edgy MD]

Valadius wrote: If those numbers are true, they'll hope for big production and then sell high at the trade deadline.

Or hope for big production and then win about 120 games.

[Centerfield]

Cuddyer, 35, will earn $21 million in the deal -- $8.5 million in 2015 and $12.5 million in 2016 -- according to reports. + http://espn.go.com/newyork/mlb/story/_/id/11854223/new-yok-mets-sign-michael-cuddyer-two-year-deal

This is crazy. Why would he take such a low deal?

Do you think the Rockies knew that he was all set to sign with the Mets before offering a qualifying offer? He could have made $16 million this year alone.

[Edgy MD]

At this point, Michael was having second thoughts about his choice of agents.

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: I wonder if this will be it in terms of adding a middle-of-the-lineup bat. I hope it isn't. But I suspect it will be. None of the SS trade proposals interest me at all. I'm fine with Reynolds/Flores/Tejada.

But if you're OK with what we've got at SS then where is this second big bat you're hoping for going to play seeing as how 1B, 3B, C and all 3 OF positions are essentially spoken for?
What that leaves is 2B where a deal for a new 2B isn't going to get us someone who's THAT much better than what we currently have.

And it all brings us around to what most of us have been saying all along, that the most interesting move/non-move of the off-season is what happens with Muffy.
I'd personally prefer to move one (or more) of Flores, Reynolds, Herrera to 2B (we'd lose BA points but would stand to gain in defense, and maybe power and/or OBA) and deal for a true starting SS.

My mind starts wandering and wondering what a Murph + [insert young starter here] package would net us.
Or start expanding that to Murph + starter + reliever + Tejada ... (or some combo thereof)

[Centerfield]

Ideally I'd like Cuddyer to be a super utility guy. He can platoon for Granderson and Duda. He can spell Wright at 3B. You can move Granderson to CF on days you rest Lagares.

Hopefully between that and injuries he gets 4-5 starts per week.

And he can spell that imposing cleanup hitter we get for LF later this offseason.

[Frayed Knot]

Nobody's signing two-year deals for $20+ million to be a utility guy, or even a super-utility guy.
He's here to be the everyday (or at least mostly everyday) RF.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yeah, but he'll get run all over the place. And when he's on the field, he's a solid bat and livable (if not, say, "good" in the traditional sense) glove.

Papa like.

#AllEenInFifteen

[Lefty Specialist]

He'll play every day. Terry will ride him until the wheels fall off and then he'll ride him some more. They're not paying him $21 million not to play. See Young, Christopher.

[ashie62]

Very Happy.

Now lets get Starlin Castro and put up one fierce lineup next season.

Lets Go Mets!

[Centerfield]

Frayed Knot wrote: Nobody's signing two-year deals for $20+ million to be a utility guy, or even a super-utility guy. He's here to be the everyday (or at least mostly everyday) RF.

Which is more or less why I said I hoped it wouldn't be the "big addition", but suspect that it will be.

Still, Chris Young was kind of part-timish, at the same salary as the first half of the contract. So you never know.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

If all else fails, we got the guy to take the next team picture.

I guess when you play ball you can afford all the cool lenses, but still these are very impressive shots. Haven't seen Citi pixx yet but most stadia are represented...