Oct 23 2014 10:24 AM
Because the Mets don't have enough of those.
Michael Cuddyer is a perfect free agent fit for NY Mets, who like him
| The Mets are highly reluctant to trade any of their young pitchers this winter, despite an urgent need to upgrade the offense. It’s not impossible to imagine Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and to some extent Rafael Montero playing for different teams next year, but it’s close. So where do they find a bat? Well, here’s an idea, one that that’s already been floated in the blogosphere, and turns out to be a concrete possibility: Free agent Michael Cuddyer, the exact sort of piece that fits the offense the Mets hope to construct. Here’s what we mean by that: While Sandy Alderson has long checked in on the Giancarlo Stantons and Carlos Gonzalezes of the world, he and his staff consider it more likely that the Mets will surround their core of pitchers with a lineup filled veteran, versatile or otherwise interchangeable pieces. Think Tampa Bay Rays, during their good years. Cuddyer is just such a piece. Thirty-five years old, he was injured much of this season, but hit 10 home runs in 49 games, while batting .332. People familiar with the Mets’ thinking say that the team considers him attractive on a two-year deal. It is hard to imagine Cuddyer getting more than that, but as one major league executive notes about the Mets’ top free agent target last year, “No one thought Jhonny Peralta was going to get four years, either.” The Cardinals shocked the Mets, and most of baseball, by giving Peralta a four-year, $52 million deal. If Cuddyer’s market does not inflate in a similar way, he could provide much-needed power for the Mets, a tremendous clubhouse presence to assume some of the leadership burden from his friend David Wright -- and all at a commitment that does not require excessive years, or the loss of a pitching prospect. It’s not that the Mets refuse to trade any of their pitchers not named Gee, Niese or Colon; it’s just that they are highly reluctant. Over the past 12 months, Wheeler went from sort of available, with some in the organization pushing hard to move him, to virtually untouchable. Syndergaard had a disappointing year at Triple-A, but remains young and promising. DeGrom is about to win the National League rookie of the year award, so he isn’t going anywhere. Scouts rate Montero a notch below the others, but sources say that the Mets are reluctant to part with him, too. He could be had in the right deal (Yoenis Cespedes, perhaps, who the Mets are monitoring?), but is far from on the market. Expect the Mets to explore many different trade options this winter. Rumors will arise, and many will be based in fact. We’ll even present some concrete possibilities here, over the next days and weeks. But two years of control over a veteran hitter like Cuddyer, at a rate that will not bust their tight budget -- well, that fits the plan better than many other choices. |
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/baseba ... -1.1984031
