Sometime after surgery in early November to repair a core muscle injury, Michael Cuddyer realized his body was not up to a 19th season of professional baseball.
"It wasn't just the DL stints.
It's the aches and pains that every single player goes through over the course of 162 games.
They started to get tougher to rehab," he said Saturday.
A two-time All-Star and the 2013 NL batting champion with Colorado, Cuddyer announced his retirement Saturday.
His $21.5 million, two-year contract with the Mets called for a $12.5 million salary next season.
It is unclear how much of that he will receive and whether his decision will impact New York's roster decisions — such as not attempting to re-sign free agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.