The Morning Report 12.14.2015 | Injuries and Fatigue Force Cuddyer to Retire, Mets Could be Back in on Cespedes, Cardinals Nab Bowman via Rule 5 Draft

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- Citing injury toll and the desire to spend more time with his family, Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer unexpectedly announced his retirement on Saturday.  Cuddyer's decision was made all the more shocking because he was midway through the two-year, $21 million deal he signed. "I think it shows you the type of family-man that he is," David Wright said. "...he could have easily just come to spring training, said he was hurt, and then milked all year on the DL and got paid. For for him to leave that much money on the table andtell the Mets [early] so they can come up and formulate a Plan B and use that money elsewhere, I think that speaks volumes for him as a teammate, as a person, as a father [and] as a husband."

(Chris Soto: Michael Cuddyer was certainly not the most successful signing the team has made over the past few seasons. However despite his poor performance, he never stopped playing the game hard, he never stopped contributing to the clubhouse, and he always put 100% effort into the team even when he was hurting and probably had only 50% to give. Giving the Mets $12.5M extra to spend this off-season may go down as the single biggest contribution that comes from him and it could potentially be a big deal depending on who they go out and spend that money on. Farewell Michael! May you find good health and relaxation in your life after baseball.)

John Harper | NY Daily News- The higher-than-ever cost of pitching this winter should motivate the Mets to go the extra mile while they’re getting such a bargain on their own young pitchers, extend themselves to win championships while they can afford such excellence. At the very least, with more money to spend now, the Mets should at least make an effort to sign Cespedes. At age 30 he has spectacular athleticism that isn’t going to disappear over night, so offer him a five-year deal for $110 million, and if someone wants to give him six or seven years, then the Mets would be justified in letting him go.


(Chris Soto: Now that Heyward is off the market, the next best OF'ers are Cespedes and Justin Upton. Since Upton does not have the athleticism to play CF, this leaves Cespedes as the guy the Mets SHOULD be targeting to improve their OF. Surprisingly enough, Cespedes' market has been extremely quiet even after the Heyward signing and it is looking more likely that Yo is going to sneak into January unsigned. January is usually the month where agents start getting a little nervous and start adjusting their asking prices down. On top of time, and additional factor working against Yo is the fact that Upton is still unsigned and is younger than him making him the most likely target for a number of other teams in the market for an OF. The situation is lining itself quite nicely for a potential reunion between the Mets and Yo.)



Danny Abriano | Rising Apple- The Mets lost Triple-A Las Vegas RHP Matthew Bowman in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. Bowman, 24, was selected by the Cardinals. Bowman had a 5.53 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 140 innings this past season for Las Vegas. [However], In 2014, Bowman had a 3.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out 124 batters in 134.1 innings split between Double-A Binghamton and Las Vegas. After Bowman was selected, assistant GM John Ricco said he had been left off the 40-man roster due to the down year he had in 2015.

(Chris Soto: The Mets minor league depth took another hit on Thursday with Bowman's selection. Compared to most writers, I was a bit higher on him in terms of prospect ranking. I saw a lot of similarities between Bowman and deGrom at the AA stage of their careers. Both guys were converted SS's who were bigger athleticism plays on the mound then they were "premium stuff" guys. Bowman struggled mightily with his release point though last season and it resulted in a major drop in his K and a jump in his BB rate, both quite a ways from his career norms. It seems like the Cardinals feel that it is more of a result of the tough pitching environment than it is a lack of talent....and I agree with them. I feel that the Mets could end up regretting not holding onto Bowman.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets were in discussions with LHRP Jerry Blevins during the Winter Meetings about a potential return to New York. 
• The trade between the Phillies and Astros for RHRP Ken Giles was finally announced by both teams but with an adjustment in the deal. Astros OF prospect Derek Fisher is no longer part of the deal. Instead RHSP prospect, and former #1 pick, Mark Appel has taken his place.

(Chris Soto: That's an interesting adjustment in the Giles deal. Appel has struggled mightily since becoming a professional athlete and a number of scouts have actually soured on him. His ceiling has been downgraded from a sure fire staff ace to a potential #3/#4 over the past 2 years as he has struggled with injuries and inconsistent mechanics. I'm not sure if the Phillies are going to be able to revive his career, but if they do, it will be quite the steal away trade.)