In a surprising move, the New York Mets invested in an aging hitter to kick off the free agent season. Wholesale Air Max 90 Ultra Se . 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 Air Max 90 Black Buy . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Air Max 90 Black Gold . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outlet-air-max-90-essential-cheap.html . Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans No. 1 pick in the draft, was on the field Tuesday for the first time with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. NEW YORK -- The lockout of Major League Soccers referees has ended following an agreement on a five-year labour contract. The Professional Referee Organization, which manages game officials for the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS, and the Professional Soccer Referee Association, announced the agreement Thursday. Replacements had been used for the first two weekends of MLS games. The PSRA was certified by the National Labor Relations Board last May to represent referees, assistant referees and fourth officials working MLS games. The sides bargained since July, and the lockout began a day ahead of MLS openers on March 7. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service entered talks, and a tentative agreement was reached Tuesday night that was ratified by the union membershhip and approved by PROs executive board. Off White X Air Max 90 Ice White. . "First contracts sometimes pose difficult challenges as the parties seek to define the parameters of a new formal relationship," FMCS acting director Scot L. Beckenbaugh said in a statement. The agreement runs until Jan. 15, 2019. Lucas Middlebrook, a PRSA lawyer, said the deal includes "substantially better" compensation and "a number of non-economic work rule protections such as a just-cause standard for certain disciplinary matters and standardization of fitness testing. "In addition, the officials now have a contract protecting important quality-of-life items such as travel standards, vacation time and advance notice of match assignments," he said in an email. ' ' '