Henry asks…
If the Mets play this right, they could conceivably sign Jason Heyward, and then trade Curtis Granderson to the highest bidders amongst teams that lost out on Heyward. They end up with a Gold Glove right fielder with speed and great offensive upside who is nine years younger than Grandy. And we can get a solid shortstop, second basemen or center fielder for Grandy. Thoughts MMO??
Mike replies…
There are reports that demand is very high for Jason Heyward and while early projections had him getting a contract of roughly 7-8 years at around $20 million dollars annually, those numbers are now hovering around 10 years and more than $250 million dollars.
This would be a tough pill to swallow for the stingy Wilpons. But, if the Mets find someone to take Granderson, the money would be minimized. Grandy is owed $16 million for 2016 and $15 million for 2017.
My short answer to this question is that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Throughout the Mets’ 2015 season, the Grandy Man was essential to the team’s success. In 157 games for the Amazins, Grandy had 33 doubles, 26 homers, 98 runs, 70 RBI, and accumulated a .259 average. More importantly Granderson drew 91 walks and had a .364 OBP as the Mets leadoff man.
Granderson, 35, also set the Mets record for leadoff homers at seven this past year. With the injuries to Travis d’Arnaud and David Wright, Granderson did exactly what the team needed from him and kept Mets in the hunt. His power numbers are also much higher than Heyward’s, and that should not go unnoticed. With Yoenis Cespedes most likely departing for greener pastures, Grandy’s power stroke becomes even more imperative to the club’s success offensively.
Jason Heyward would certainly add speed to the lineup and gold glove defense to the right field position, and he is surely the better player at this point in their careers. Jason had 160 hits, 33 doubles, 13 homers, 60 RBI, 56 walks and 23 stolen bases for the Cardinals last season. He batted .293 with a .359 OBP and .797 OPS.
At just 26, obviously Heyward’s best years are still in front of him. However, I am not sure that Mets ownership is in the position to make such an extreme financial commitment to him. In my opinion, it would have to be a SIGNIFICANT upgrade for the Mets to even consider such a move. Instead, the Mets will most likely target second tier free agents to fulfill their specified needs.
I know that a lot of people would say “it’s the same old cheap Wilpons.” But in all fairness, this move would not really help the team get over the hump. If the Mets signed Heyward and kept Grandy, then yes, the team would be much better. However, could Heyward play center field full time? I am not sure the club would want to find that out only after giving him a $200+ million contract.
Yoenis Cespedes could be had for much less, has the power the Mets need, and we know he can play center field. Yet it’s unlikely the Mets bring him back, let alone go after Heyward. I’m not saying we should go after Cespedes, just drawing a comparison between the two financially as well as offensive impact.
If the Mets did sign Heyward and traded Grandy, I am not so sure they would get the starting shortstop, center fielder, or second basemen you think given his age and $31 million commitment. It is something that I am sure they might ponder, I just find it hard to see anything like this coming to fruition. Thanks for the question.
