Michael Cuddyer was thrilled to receive an invite to the party.
The former Mets outfielder was among those who attended the team’s private ceremony Thursday, in which NL championship rings were distributed, after David Wright had requested his presence.
Rehabbing pitchers Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin, who were in Port St. Lucie, also traveled to Citi Field for the event, which preceded a team workout.
Cuddyer, who retired after last season, has lost 25 pounds, but is willing to add 2.75 carats to his ring finger.
“I’m going to wear it — not every day,” Cuddyer said. “It’s going to sit on a mantel, but I’m also going to wear it. It’s not going into a safety deposit box. It took 20 years to get it.
“Twenty years to get it and I don’t know if or when I will be back in a uniform and have a chance at another one.”
But Cuddyer is putting any major league coaching/managing aspirations on the back burner. For now, he’s enjoying life as an assistant coach for his son’s youth league team.
“We have a Southern Chesapseake Athletic Association White Sox game tomorrow, so that is where my thoughts are,” Cuddyer said. “We’re playing the Tigers for Opening Day.”
As The Post reported in spring training, Cuddyer received a buyout in the $2 million to $3 million range after last season. He was due $12.5 million for 2016, in the final season of a backloaded two-year deal.
The Mets attempted to distance themselves from comments made by comedian Bill Maher, who is an investor in the team. In a recent interview on WOR-AM — the team’s flagship radio station — Maher referred to Bryce Harper as a “douchebag.”
Though Maher is an investor in the team, one club source indicated any notion he is a minority owner is misguided. The source called Maher’s role with the club “ceremonial.”
Another club source called Maher a “loose cannon” who doesn’t speak for the organization.
Manager Terry Collins downplayed his decision to use Jim Henderson over Antonio Bastardo in the seventh inning against the Royals on Tuesday. The lefty Bastardo, who signed a two-year contract worth $12 million with the team in January, had a rough exhibition season, but Collins said that did not factor into the decision.
“One of the things I wanted to do, I wanted to see Henderson in that situation,” Collins said.
The veteran Henderson, who missed most of the past two seasons with shoulder problems, worked a perfect seventh and struck out two batters, hitting 96 mph in the process.
Hansel Robles completed his two-game suspension and will be available to pitch from the bullpen.
Bartolo Colon, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz are the Mets’ scheduled starters for the three games following the home opener.
The home opener is an advance sellout, but tickets remain available on the secondary market at an average price of $161.72, according to ticket aggregator Tiqiq. The lowest-priced tickets are $54. Last week, the average price for a ticket on the secondary market was $288. The lowest-priced tickets were $134.