Eddie C's Mets Notebook: Cuddyer Believes Amazin's Can Win This Year
By Ed Coleman
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Michael Cuddyer came to Citi Field on Thursday to entertain local schoolchildren with his card tricks. And he killed it, leaving the kids wide-eyed and laughing with his brand of magic. Maybe the Patriots should give Cuddyer a call to see if he can help make "Deflate-gate" disappear.
Cuddyer represents the Mets' lone major free-agent acquisition of the offseason, and many Mets fans would question the "major" part of the description. So who is Cuddyer, and why did he decide to come to New York?
He has known David Wright since childhood in his native Virginia, and knowing the Mets captain as long as he has, it's given him a head start on exactly what the Mets are all about.
Shoulder and hamstring injuries limited Cuddyer to just 49 games in 2014, but he's very confident that they will not be recurring this coming season.
Late in his career, Cuddyer is coming east after stints in Minnesota and Colorado. He's coming closer to home because he believes the Mets can win this year. Why does he feel so strongly about that?
Well, the Nationals just added Max Scherzer to a rotation that was already pretty formidable and to a team that won the NL East last season. What makes Cuddyer think that the Mets can match up with Washington?
Kevin Long, formerly with the Yankees, is the new hitting instructor for the Mets, Cuddyer hasn't met Long yet, but he's well aware of him from his days in the American League with the Twins.
Cuddyer will spend most of his time in right field, and occasionally fill in at first base for Lucas Duda against certain lefties. He hasn't spoken with manager Terry Collins yet about the breakdown, but he's willing to play wherever the manager sees fit.
Cuddyer endured one other injury-plagued season -- back in 2008 -- when he played just 71 games for the Twins. He bounced back the next year to hit 32 HR and drive in 94 runs. So, is that possibly a good omen for the 2015 season?
C U soon
Eddie C.