In a surprising move, the New York Mets invested in an aging hitter to kick off the free agent season. Numbers Game breaks down the Mets’ addition of Michael Cuddyer. The Mets Get: OF Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer, 35, is coming off an injury-plagued season, but he’s been a very productive hitter for Colorado the past two seasons. It’s no coincidence, however, that those seasons have occurred in Colorado. Cuddyer has played 179 games over the past two seasons, hitting .331 with a .928 OPS, but those numbers are, not surprisingly, tilted towards the Rockies’ home field. HOME-ROAD SPLITS 2013-2014 LOCATION AB HR AVG OPS Home 305 17 .367 1.061 Road 374 13 .302 .815 Three of Cuddyer’s four highest home-run-to-flyball rates have come in the past three years, while playing for the Rockies, including last season’s career-best 22.7%. All this while swinging at more pitches outside the strike zone than ever before, something that would seem to be a nasty habit when the confines of the home park aren’t so friendly. Even if we can rest assured that Cuddyer will no longer receive the Colorado boost to his offensive numbers, there is still the opportunity that he could be a productive hitter. The trouble is, at his age, he’s not much more than a hitter. Whie he can still run a little bit (stealing 32 bases in 39 attempts over the past four seasons), Cuddyer is a liability in the field. In right field, where’s he’s spent most of his outfield time, he hasn’t had a positive Defensive Runs Saved rating since 2005, and is minus-18 runs in that metric over the past two seasons. His Ultimate Zone Rating has been similarly negative and now that he’s in his mid-30s, there’s no reason to believe that it’s going to get better. In New York, Cuddyer figures to shift to left field, which could help mitigate some of his fielding woes, but will also mean that CF Juan Lagares and RF Curtis Granderson will have to be prepared to cover a lot of ground. Over the past two seasons, Cuddyer has, cumulatively, been good for three-to-four wins above replacement (3.0 BBRef WAR, 3.9 fWAR) and that makes him a useful player and two years, at a total of $21-million isn’t unreasonable for solid bat, when healthy. Whether that makes him worth forgoing the 15th pick in the first round of next year’s draft – the compensation that the Mets owe for signing him – is another matter entirely. Colorado is already rather crowded in the outfield, with young inexpensive options like Corey Dickerson, Brandon Barnes and Charlie Blackmon pushing for bigger roles, so they can afford to lose Cuddyer. Getting a first-round pick out of the deal is a reward for being willing to make a $15.3-million qualifying offer to Cuddyer in the first place. Verdict: Cuddyer could be a solid bat for the Mets, but he’s played 280 (of a possible 486) games over the past three seasons and health questions for a player in his mid-30s don’t figure to go away. Mix in expected decline with a change in home park and it is hard for the Mets to justify the long-term impact of giving up a first-round pick. Scott Cullen can be reached at
scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca . The Mavericks were not going to let San Antonio beat them with 3-pointers, and they did not want Tony Parker using the lane as his personal playground. . By then it was clear: The 76ers were going to win for the first time in two months, and they were going to do it with ease. The 76ers snapped their NBA record-tying, 26-game losing streak, routing the Detroit Pistons 123-98 on Saturday night to avoid establishing the longest skid in U. . Maria Silvia Bastos Marques, president of the EOM (Municipal Olympic Company), will be leaving her post but will remain as an advisor, a city hall statement said Tuesday. . Join World Soccer Pickem 2014 for your chance to win $5,500 in cash prizes by picking the winner of each game all the way through to the tournament final. Will you ride a favourite such as Spain or Germany, or cast your lot with an underdog like Ivory Coast or Mexico? Perhaps key victories from Netherlands or the United States will be your key to victory. . While he was away, it was the division-rival Baltimore Orioles conducting a little business of their own, scooping up Ubaldo Jimenez on Monday evening to a reported four-year, $50-million contract.TSN.cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a battle between two forwards creating unbelievable goals. The third match-up of the Round of 32 pits the Ottawa Senators Clarke MacArthur against power forward Jamie Benn on the Dallas Stars. MacArthur makes the cut on an unbelievable pass to create a goal for Kyle Turris. Breaking in two-on-three (yes, two-on-three, he was actually outnumbered!) MacArthur streaks down the right wing drawing coverage from perennial Norris Trophy candidate Ryan Suter. Looking to create a passing lane, MacArthur drags the puck between his legs and dishes a pass towards Turris in the slot. All three Wild defenders are caught leaning MacArthurs way and watch as the pass goes right to Turris tape and he squeaks a shot through Josh Harding..dddddddddddd Benn, too, puts the odds in his favour but he got to take the glory of the finish for himself. Starting from his own blue line, Benn dances through the neutral zone untouched and takes the blue line staring down a pair of Carolina Hurricanes D-men. He slows up just a touch and then hits fast forward, blowing right in between Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera to free himself up one-on-one against Anton Khudobin. As if the split werent enough, Benn goes quickly to the forehand deke and buries it despite the Russian keepers sprawl. You can watch the highlights and make your decision here. Every vote counts, so watch all the plays and take part in the TSN.ca Play of the Year Showdown. Let us know who you voted for via Twitter by using the hashtag #tsnklondikepoy. ' ' '
