Michael Cuddyer retires after 15 year Major League Baseball career

Mets OF Michael Cuddyer, who was about to enter the second year of his two-year contract, is retiring from baseball, according to multiple reports.

Speculation began to swirl on Friday evening when Cuddyer was listed as retired on MLB.com’s transactions page.

It’s still unclear whether Cuddyer will get any of his 2016 salary, but even he gets a portion of it, this still feels like a good break for the Mets, especially considering there are still impact corner outfielder available in free agency.

During New York’s run to the World Series, Cuddyer had 12 plate appearances but struck out seven times and had one hit.

He played 11 of his 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins after being drafted by the team with ninth-overall pick in the 1997 amateur draft.

Cuddyer hit. 259 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs during an injury-interrupted year with the Mets.

Although Cuddyer’s role severely diminished with the addition of Cespedes and the eventual arrival of rookie outfielder Michael Conforto, the 15-year veteran served as a key player within the clubhouse early in the season in the absence of captain and third baseman David Wright. His best seasons in Minnesota were 2006, when he hit. He was a two-time All-Star and finishes his career with 197 home runs. From 2012 to 2014, he played with the Colorado Rockies.