While the Colorado Rockies have been putting up numbers in the loss column, right fielder Michael Cuddyer has been putting up hits for 27 straight games. Surpassing Dante Bichette in the Rockies record books at 23 games, Cuddyer has been on fire this season at the plate and is currently batting better than any other season of his 13-year career. Rocking a .344 average (third in the league) and a .983 OPS (fourth in the league, just ahead of Carlos Gonzalez at .967), Cuddyer has been a bright shining spot on an unpolished team and has laid the trade crosshairs on himself in turn.
Last year, Marco Scutaro left Boston and came west to play with the Rockies and was the bright shiny spot on a similarly unpolished and generally crappy Rockies team. What happened to Scutaro? He was traded to the division rival San Francisco Giants before the deadline and then went on to collect his first World Series title, which he was a very important part of.
Michael Cuddyer could very well be lining up for the same exit. I don’t believe he wants to get out of Denver (Bob Seger) but his stats may very likely punch his ticket out. That and getting a hit game after game after game. Cuddyer is due much applause, which he gets in Denver, endearing himself to fans as a humble veteran who puts in quality work, isn’t a distraction and is a clubhouse leader. I love Cuddyer, everybody around Denver loves Cuddyer; he is the best acquisition since Gonzalez came over from the Oakland A’s. We may have to get used to him not being here as the trade deadline nears. A 27-game streak is most impressive, and he only has 29 more games to go to beat Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 record.
Nobody expects Michael Cuddyer to topple the 72-year old record, but they should expect him to be wearing a different uniform if Colorado falls in the division standings. The Rockies are currently sitting in second, two games behind Arizona, but the L.A. Dodgers are in last … only two games behind Colorado.
No matter how many games Michael Cuddyer hits in consecutively, the Rockies are not powered by his bat alone. He has been a spectacular contributor since his arrival, but the front office won’t fret cutting a deal for him if the Rockies stumble down the division standings over the next month.
