Veteran outfielder Michael Cuddyer turned down the Rockies’ $15.3 million qualifying offer. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)
Michael Cuddyer turned down a $15.3 million qualifying offer from the Rockies to on Monday. The move landed the Rockies a first-round draft pick in 2015 and Cuddyer a hefty raise.
But it also left the sports world baffled.
Rockies owner Dick Monfort said last season that he “would like to figure out a way to keep” Cuddyer this season, and it was known in and out of the clubhouse that manager Walt Weiss was a big fan of the 36-year-old outfielder.
“I’d love to have Cuddy back,” . “He’s a dream for a manager because he sets the standard high. … The leadership — some people may think that’s overrated, or you think it’s overrated until you don’t have it. Then you learn how valuable it is.”
In Cuddyer, the Mets gain a right fielder that may push Curtis Granderson to the other side of Citi Field:
Michael Cuddyer primarily has played RF in majors, not LF. So Granderson may be on the move to left. Grandy said last week that’d be OK.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN)
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Reaction to Cuddyer’s deal with the Mets fell on the positive for Colorado …
Credit new Rockies GM Jeff Bridich: His first major decision was to extend the QO to Michael Cuddyer, and the move worked beautifully.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi)
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lose 15th overall pick for Cuddyer. gain comp pick between 1st and 2nd rounds. Qualifying offer looks pretty smart now.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal)
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… and to the negative for New York.
Michael Cuddyer is 35, awful defensively, and from 2012-2014 he missed 206 of 486 games while hitting .286/.332/.463 away from Coors Field.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman)
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For it is a go-for-it move but is it wise to give up 15th pick for 35 yr old on 2 yr deal?
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1)
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By projections, they’ll be lucky to get 2 wins out of Cuddyer for ~$32m (2/21 + value of pick). I’m a little more upbeat than those projex.
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris)
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I’m probably overestimating how often Cuddyer has been hurt, let’s just check and… hmmm
— Emma Span (@emmaspan)
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Here’s how others, Cuddyer’s former teammates included, responded to the move:
Although it was short-lived, I truly enjoyed being on the same team as . Congrats to him.
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson_30)
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Enjoyed sharing the field with the last two seasons. Great person and teammate.
— Corey Dickerson (@MCoreyDickerson)
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Got to say those at GM meetings surprised by ex Cuddyer signing with Mets
— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp)
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i am dead RT : Welcome to New York ! We’ve signed outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a two-year contract.
— Erik Malinowski (@erikmal)
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Thanks for your contributions to the over the past 3 years. Best of luck!
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies)
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Tags: Dick Monfort, Michael Cuddyer, New York Mets, Rockies, Walt Weiss
