The Detroit Tigers have made it very clear that they are willing to trade centerfielder Curtis Granderson. The speedy lefthanded hitter is coming off a year in which he made his first All-Star team despite hitting just .249/.327/.453; his OPS was .780. He did slug 30 homeruns and steal 20 bags, but he struck out 141 times and drew just 72 walks—not a great ratio for a guy who should be leading off.
But that is what has become apparent with Granderson: he is not a leadoff hitter. He’s a mid-level power hitter. And he can steal a little.
And he can’t hit lefties for his life. Last year he hit an abysmal .183/.245/.239 with an OPS of .484 off southpaws. Yes, his slugging percentage was actually lower than his on-base percentage: first time in the history of forever.
The Yankees, Angels and Cubs are rumored to be going after him, with the Yankees leading the charge. They should stay away, however. If they were to make a deal for Granderson, they would have to work out a platoon situation in which he would sit against lefties. You cannot send him up there with a .183 average.
And the Angels have to be crazy to consider this deal. With Torii Hunter locked up and the re-signing of Bobby Abreu, they are fine. They should simply focus on retaining Chone Figgins, who is an overall better player.
In fact, that’s who the Yankees should be going after.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Bobby Abreu, Chicago Cubs, Chone Figgins, Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Yankees, Torii Hunter
