This past weekend in Port St. Lucie, MLB.com’s Michael Baron spoke with new Mets OF Michael Cuddyer about his career, what attracted him to the Mets, his versatility, making adjustments, and more:
Michael Baron: You’ve been around a long time – you’ve had a 14 year career. After all of that, what attracted you to the Mets this winter?
Michael Cuddyer: There were a few things I wanted to accomplish in free agency. One was to go to a team I thought could win. I looked at the landscape of this team, the landscape of this personnel. Obviously, everyone is talking about the pitching staff, and everything everyone is saying is true about it. It’s what winning is built on. But I also looked at the lineup and what my addition could mean to deepen and strengthen the lineup. I feel like we could have a formidable lineup to complement the pitching staff we have. So, I felt like there was a good opportunity for this organization to turn the corner and win. That’s first and foremost.
Also, being from Virginia, I wanted to get a little closer to home. I’ve got a son in school and twin three-year old twin daughters. I felt like I was able to check both of those important things off my list by signing here.
Michael Baron: How will your versatility help this club from a depth perspective?
Michael Cuddyer: I’ve always taken pride in being a “baseball player.” First and foremost. Not a right fielder, or a first baseman. I feel like its the best compliment anyone can give you – it’s that they enjoy watching you, “playing baseball.”
Then to be able to give the manager options. Whether it’s for days off for other guys, or if he’s in a pinch – I take pride in giving the manager that flexibility. Does that mean he has to use it? No, but he has that option to be at least comfortable putting me in a spot to help the team in any given situation.
Michael Baron: You found a lot of success in Colorado. Given it’s a hitters haven, how do you expect to adjust to a park like Citi Field and the other big ballparks in the National League East?
Michael Cuddyer: A lot of people forget I played nine or ten years outside of Colorado. I played in two other stadiums – the Metrodome and Target Field. It’s not like I only played in Colorado.
That being said, I definitely had the best years of my career in Colorado from a statistical standpoint. I think it was because I matured as a hitter, matured my approach as a hitter. You’re constantly trying to improve your game, both physically and mentally. There were things I was able to accomplish in Colorado on the mental side of it which helped me have success. And, I think I can at least sustain that mental approach.
Nobody can guarantee production, nobody can guarantee numbers. But, I can guarantee my approach and mental side of it will be the same.
Michael Baron: I’ve observed you early in camp, and you seem to command a presence and come off as a natural leader.
Michael Cuddyer: A lot of people have different definitions of a, ‘leader’ and ‘leadership.’ One thing you’ll notice in every leader is they are all authentic. They’re all genuine, they’re all themselves. They don’t try to be leader, they don’t try to be something they are not. That’s how I am – I am going to be who I am regardless of the situation, and if that’s somebody people look up to, great.
Just Mets 