Cueto: I was criticized in Dominican for missing WBC

Johnny Cueto was forced to watch the Dominican Republic bow out of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday following a 6-3 loss to the United States - without ever throwing a pitch in the tournament.

The two-time All-Star was originally named to the roster, but wasn't ready to play due to his late arrival to spring training after staying by his ailing father's side in the hospital.

Cueto - who was scheduled to pitch in the semifinals before the Dominican was eliminated - said the decision to miss the first part of the tournament drew heavy criticism from some compatriots on the island.

"There's a lot of talk back home that I didn't want to pitch for the Dominican team because I'm making too much money," Cueto said, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News. "Why? There are players making more money than me, like (Robinson) Cano.

"Everybody should know I didn't go because I wasn't ready to pitch at that level. I reported late and I couldn't just go out there and put my baseball career in jeopardy because my arm wasn't ready. I truly wanted to represent my country. I'm sure that goes for everybody who wants to represent their flag."

Cueto represented the Dominican Republic at the 2009 tournament when the country finished ninth, but was not on the 2013 team that won the championship.

The Giants inked Cueto to a six-year, $130-million deal prior to last season. He can opt out of the contract at the end of the 2017 campaign.