Curtis Granderson

Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Age: March 16, 1981 (37)

Traditional Stats: .242/.351/.431, 22 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 2 SB, CS
Advanced Stats: 0.9 bWAR, 0.9 fWAR, 115 OPS+, 116 wRC+

Defensive Stats: LF (-2 DRS, -2.6 UZR), CF (0 DRS, 0.4 UZR), RF (-3 DRS, -2.3 UZR)

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic announced former fan favorite Curtis Granderson is not planning to retire, and he his planning on playing baseball in 2019. Judging from his 2019 season, you could certainly understand why Granderson believes he has one more year left in him.

While transitioning from being an everyday player to a part-time player, Granderson remained a productive player. This was the fifth straight season he was an above-average league hitter. While his defensive metrics were down, he was still a capable outfielder, who on occasion, has shown the ability to play center on occasion.

Part of Granderson’s ability as a part-time player was his ability to pinch hit. In 29 pinch hitting appearances last year, Granderson hit .375/.483/.500. That was no more evident than when he came up to the plate in Game Five of the NLCS, and he delivered a pinch-hit RBI double.

Aside from his ability as a player, Granderson’s impact in the clubhouse has been well documented. He is a smart player who makes time for his teammates, and he is active in his community. This is part of the reason why the Mets were interested in him back in 2014, and it is the reason the Dodgers and Brewers made deals to acquire him as part of their push to win a World Series.

Overall, Granderson is someone who can still play the outfield, provide speed on the basepaths, mentor younger players, and provide some pop off the bench.  He has something left in the tank, and there is going to be a team who benefits from adding him to the roster.

Contract

Last year, Granderson signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Blue Jays. With there being other free agent options available, like Nick Markakis, who is coming off a better year, Granderson will likely have to settle for less. It’s very possible he receives a Major League deal, but it will likely be less than $3 million per season. It is still possible he has to settle for a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

Recommendation

Yesterday, Brodie Van Wagenen said the outfield is not a priority, and he pointed to Jeff McNeil moving to the outfield as part of the reason why. Now, there is reason to believe McNeil can succeed in the outfield, but there is also reason to believe the Mets should be looking to add another outfielder.

Juan Lagares hasn’t been able to play over 94 games in each of the past three years due to injury issues. Keon Broxton has hit .213/.296/.419 over the past two years, and for all of the love for his defense, in his only full season playing center, he had a -7 DRS and -2.6 UZR. Behind them are Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco, who have been done for years.

Looking at it, the Mets still need another outfielder. While many would prefer a starting outfielder like Bryce Harper or even A.J. Pollock, at the moment, that does not appear to be on the table. With that being the case, the team really needs to add one more professional outfielder. You can do much worse than Granderson. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to come up with a better fourth outfield option than Granderson.