The Flyer on Cuddyer

[Edgy MD]

The Mets have blown up the GM meetings, firing the first shot of the offseason and signing Michael Cuddyer, of the Virginia Cuddyers.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Love it, not the least for first misdirecting the fans & media over the whole QO drama. But the reasons are many -- Wright's buddy, RH power who can play 1st vs. LHP, etc etc. Go Mets.

[Frayed Knot]

Would have been better w/o the draft pick - but definitely like.
There's always going to be some risk -- in his case: age, injury, Coors factor -- but he also hits several of the other hot button needs and the contract length is the right one IMO.

[Edgy MD]

Having seen the money, I'm jumping my vote up from like to love, as cautious as I prefer to be in such situations. It could all go south with a blown ACL, but the game is the game.

[TransMonk]

Went from like to love based on the money, too. Very happy!

[Zvon]

Look at that autograph. Love it

[Gwreck]

It's a good deal - the years and money are right. Nice start to the offseason. Now find us that one big bat, Sandy!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Like, not love, if only because of the draft pick cost (well, that AND the age and the recent injury history). But yeah, good righty hitter, and the old-school-utility utility will be useful (AND fun!). I love having him on the team provided he's not the offseason plan/only hitting addition-- odds are, we'll need a spare or two if we're riding with this one.

Who's the dissenting vote? I'd like to hear the case agin'.

[ashie62]

I love it. Who are the two dislikes?

[metirish]

I "like", but yes, hopefully he is one piece or more that are needed.

The math here, he could have taken the Rockies deal for a better one year deal?

[Fman99]

I like it but I'm nervous. Free agent outfielder signings make me nervous. It's post-Bay-Burnitz trauma syndrome, I think.

[HahnSolo]

Voted like because he makes the team better.

Don't love because I would have hoped for an option to make us more better, and because I am worried that this is the only "big" bat they are bringing in.

[Edgy MD]

'Nitz wasn't a signing. The Brews gave him that big fat contract. The Mets acquired it in a big fat trade involving 73 players or something like that.

He finished that deal with the Dodgers, when the Mets moved him for three more players, one of whom turned out to be Victor Diaz.

All part of glorious trade chain stretching back something like 30 years, and still alive today in the DNA of d'Arnaud, Syndergaard, and Becerra.

[Fman99]

Edgy MD wrote: 'Nitz wasn't a signing. The Brews gave him that big fat contract. The Mets acquired it in a big fat trade involving 73 players or something like that.

Yabbut I conflate them all into the category of "guys who were passable MLB outfielders and then came to Queens and sucked a million billion ethnic penises all lined up in a row."

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fman99 wrote: Edgy MD wrote: 'Nitz wasn't a signing. The Brews gave him that big fat contract. The Mets acquired it in a big fat trade involving 73 players or something like that. Yabbut I conflate them all into the category of "guys who were passable MLB outfielders and then came to Queens and sucked a million billion ethnic penises all lined up in a row."

On the bright side, in Queens, we've got the most richly-diverse set of figurative outfielder-sucking-penises in the nation.

[Edgy MD]

He's got a 3.0 GPA in this poll.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm somewhere between dislike and indifference. I
hope the early activity isn't an excuse to say we did
our off-season job and now we can take off early for
the holiday seasons.

This just screams of the type of things that never work
out. Can't see how anyone can love this. I hope I'm
wrong, but they've turned me into a Metsosourpuss!

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: Look at that autograph. Love it

It's too legible. How'd he ever get to be a pro athlete with that?!?!

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Look at that autograph. Love it It's too legible. How'd he ever get to be a pro athlete with that?!?!

He went to school a long time ago, when they still taught cursive. It was the one class his coaches let an athlete take.

Later

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

Like. I worry about the defense and the draft pick, but the years and money match nicely with his expected production. Perhaps the reasonableness of the contract will enable them to spend more internationally to make up for the lost pick.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

86-Dreamer wrote: Like. I worry about the defense and the draft pick, but the years and money match nicely with his expected production. Perhaps the reasonableness of the contract will enable them to spend more internationally to make up for the lost pick.

Unfortunately, the international market portion of the CBA doesn't allow for that sort of thinking anymore.

Okay, Kong's one. Any other dislikes?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I didn't vote yet, only my write in.

[Frayed Knot]

As is often the case, draft picks -- even ones in the middle of the 1st round -- miss more than they hit and when they do hit it's not always with the team that drafted them.
A quickie look at 20 years of #15 picks (not including the most recent five).


2009 - ALEX WHITE (RHP - CLE )� now 26 y/o; 30 ML starts; played in AAA during 2014
2008 - ETHAN MARTIN (RHP - Phil) � 25 y/o; 17 ML games, 8 starts
2007 - DEVIN MESORACO (C - Reds) � 26 y/o; starting catcher for 2 seasons
2006 - CHRIS MARRERO (OF - Nats) � 26 y/o; 125 ML ABs
2005 - LANCE BROADWAY (RHP - ChiSox) � 27 ML games, 2 starts; out of baseball since 2009 (w/NYM)
2004 - STEPHEN DREW (SS - ARZ) � 9 ML seasons: .256/.322/.425
2003 - BRIAN ANDERSON (OF - ChiSox) � 800 ML ABs from 2005-09
2002 - SCOTT KAZMIR (LHP - Mets) � Not sure whatever happened to him??
2001 - GABE GROSS (OF - Tor) � 1,500 ML ABs from 2004-10
2000 - CHASE UTLEY (2B - Phils) � Highest career WAR (61.5) of all #15 picks any year (2nd = HoF Jim Rice at 47.4)
1999 - JASON STUMM (RHP - ChiSox) � never reached MLB
1998 - CLINT JOHNSTON (LHP - Pirates) � never reached MLB
1997 - JASON DELLAERO (SS - ChiSox) � 33 ML ABs in 1999
1996 - MATT HALLORAN (SS - Padres) � never reached MLB
1995 - ANDREW YOUNT (OF/P - Red Sox) � never reached MLB
1994 - JAY PETERSON (RHP - Cubs) never reached MLB
1993 - CHRIS CARPENTER (RHP - Jays) � 350 G, 144 Wins over 15 seasons
1992 - SEAN LOWE (RHP - TEX) � 7 ML seasons for 5 teams, mostly as a reliever
1991 - TY HILL (LHP - Milw) � never reached MLB
1990 - ADAM HYZDU (OF - SF) � 350 ABs over 7 seasons FOR 4 clubs

Notable others going back to the early days of the draft (>10 career WAR) � Royce Clayton (1988), Scott Garrelts (1979), Leon Durham (1976), Jim Rice (1971) and Richie Hebner (1966)

[nymr83]

Dislike. Hurt last year,coors field,35,2yearsnot1,draft pick. Too much downside here for me.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Finally settled on indifferent. The guy played in like 30% of
the Rockies' games last year. If it works out, great, but I can't
see why so many people a gah gah over it. I hope next July
someone can bump this and mock me.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think you have to consider what the alternatives were. Trading for a Kemp or Ethier or Gonzalez is going to cost dearly in terms in prospects and $$, and there's still the issue of SS to deal with -- and that crop has even fewer viable Free Agents. The guy is a legit hitter, can sub for Doodoo or Grandy vs. lefties, might no go get it so well in the OF anymore but has Lagares playing alongside him.

Yes the issue of injury & age is a concern but that's more or less reflected in the salary: He's really a kind of equivalent to Colon inasmuch as the second year made a big difference to him but not so much to us, and if and when he goes all Jason Bay on us it's not outrageous to think that Conforto and/or Zimmo could be called on to step in.

I also am placing a 'lil value on the "intangibles" -- seems like a good guy, takes good pictures, has a hot wife, deaf in one ear, his bromance with David Wright can't be overlooked, has some postseason experience but never a World Series, etc etc. Cuddy in 15.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I also am placing a 'lil value on the "intangibles" -- seems like a good guy, takes good pictures, has a hot wife, deaf in one ear, his bromance with David Wright can't be overlooked, has some postseason experience but never a World Series, etc etc. Cuddy in 15.

Plus He saves teammates lives!!!

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, obviously the investment's a lot to lose if he staggers, but it's not the sort of price that is likely to keep them from going in another direction. And he plays four positions, so he allows them a lot of injury flexibility --- the sort they'll lose if and when they trade Murphy.

Colon is a good analogy there.

[Zvon]

I read today he is deaf in his left ear (so they project him playing more RF). Funny, the things you learn when a player becomes one of your guys.