After finalizing a seven-year, $210 million contract with free agent Max Scherzer, it appears the rest of the NL East will need nothing short of a miracle or perhaps even some magic to overcome the Washington Nationals. With that in mind, it's probably a good thing the New York Mets had already gone out and hired a magician this offseason, signing outfielder Michaal Cuddyer a two-year, $21 million deal in November.
And no, we're not exclusively referring to Cuddyer baseball skills, though many times he has looked like a magician at the plate. Especially 2013, when he took home the NL batting crown. He's actually a magician with a wide range of card tricks. It's a unique talent, but it's a talent he's used for years in the clubhouse to keep teammates loose and entertained.
On Thursday, Cuddyer spent part of his afternoon sharpening his skills in the Mets clubhouse. Only this time, he had a different audience. The Mets brought in students from PS 92 in Queens, and as you might expect, the kids were quite impressed with Cuddyer's slight of hand.
As you also might expect, because this is New York after all, the topic of the day eventually turned to the Mets outlook this season. In this case, Cuddyer didn't attempt to the pull wool over anyone's eyes. He acknowledged the Nationals are the team to beat, but made it known that the Mets will also compete for that position.
"I don't see why we couldn't. Obviously, they're going to have a great staff, there's no question about it. They've got All-Stars on the staff. They've got ERA champions on the staff, strikeout champions on the staff. But at the same time, we've got guys that can compete with that as well. I think the 'Baseball Almanac' would be written a lot differently if you donned a champion in February every year."
Admittedly, Cuddyer can't see the future, but he does make good points. Often times the favorites in February are afterthoughts by August. However, the Nationals are a different animal. Their starting rotation is as loaded as we've ever seen in recent years, and should they elect to not immediately trade from that depth, will be equipped to handle absorb some adversity.
Where the Mets should make some noise is in the wild-card race, and we don't think that will require magic. Just good health should do the trick. If Cuddyer, David Wright and returning ace Matt Harvey can hold up for 162 games, the Mets will have staying power and an opportunity to reappear in the postseason following an eight-year absence.
Actually believing they can do it won't hurt either.
BLS H/N: Cut 4
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
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