I want to start off by saying that I love Curtis Granderson. He plays with hustle and his off-field endeavors are admirable and laudable. He’s willing to do whatever is necessary to help the team, and is seen as a leader in the clubhouse.
Grandy is entering the fourth and final year of a 4 year, $60 million contract, and will make $15 million in 2017. Granderson hit .237/.335/.464 with 30 home runs and 59 RBIs in 2017, so his trade value is pretty high right now. That home run total and solid on-base percentage would surely catch some interest, however he greatly increased his value in another way this season as well. When Juan Lagares went down with a thumb injury, Granderson slid over to play center field in his absence.
Even at age 35, he has shown that he can still put up good power numbers while playing a solid outfield. Pair that with his leadership skills and his $15M salary seems to be a reasonable price tag. That all being said, the Mets might want to consider the possibility of trading him this offseason.
So, why trade him? Last night the Mets informed Jay Bruce that he will be the starting right fielder on opening day. Sandy Alderson also said earlier this offseason that Michael Conforto will be playing every day, even against lefties. With Yoenis Cespedes anchored in left field and Bruce in right, that leaves Conforto to play center. What, then, are the Mets supposed to do with Curtis Granderson?
$15 million is a lot to be paying a 4th or 5th outfielder. There are many teams that would love to add a player like Granderson, as he can play any of the outfield positions and put up decent offensive numbers, while providing priceless leadership.
One of the most important reasons the Mets could trade him, though, can not be quantified by statistics. Every inning he would play in the outfield, every at-bat, he takes an inning or an at bat away from Juan Lagares, Michael Conforto, or Brandon Nimmo. These guys have tremendous upside, but they need consistent innings. From a developmental standpoint, trading Granderson could be the way to go as well.
The Mets need to upgrade their bullpen and they need to do it quickly. Creating a package including Curtis Granderson might help fill that need, as the Mariners for example are without a right fielder and have a few relievers that should interest the Mets (namely Edwin Diaz, Steve Cishek, and Nick Vincent). The Mariners are not the only team that would chomp at the bit to acquire Granderson, though, as there were widespread reports that he was drawing more interest than Bruce this offseason.
If the Mets trade him they would still be left with a very good outfield, as well as $15 million left to spend. I’d hate to see him go, but that money could be spent on a difference-maker that can get the Mets back to the World Series where they belong.
