Michael Cuddyer suprised us all this weekend by announcing his retirement from baseball.
In a piece for Derek Jeter’s “Players’ Tribune” site, Cuddyer wrote:
Baseball is my life’s passion, but at the same time I knew in some distant part of my heart that it wouldn’t and couldn’t last forever. Ever since I was a kid, my mantra has been, “Play hard, dream big.” But I’ve always believed in loyalty to the game itself: the day that I can’t give it 100 percent is the day I have to walk away. Now that the day has come, it’s harder than I thought it would be.
Cuddyer was not a good baseball player by the time he became a Met, but I think we can all respect someone who is willing to walk away from millions of dollars because he realized he couldn’t perform at the level he needed to anymore.
If the Cuddyer wants to stay involved in the game of baseball, the Mets could find worse candidates to replace Bob Geren as their bench coach.
While we hope there are bigger moves on the horizon, the Mets signed three players to minor league contracts and invited them to major league spring training on Monday.
RHP Buddy Carlyle, 36, returns to compete for a spot in the bullpen after missing most of the 2015 season with a hip injury. LHP Duane Bellow, 30, last appeared in the majors with the Marlins in 2013.
1B/OF Marc Krauss, 28, offers some left-handed power but doesn’t make enough contact to be an attractive option at the major league level and is hopefully just a minor league depth signing.
Finally, 2014 Mets Opening Day starter Dillon Gee has reportedly signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. I’m rooting for him – I’d like to see Gee get another shot at the major leagues.
PaulHadsall.com 