IS CURTIS GRANDERSON REALLY TRADE BAIT?

The great trade debate has started. More specifically, the one involving Curtis Granderson. Most Yankee fans seem to be split pretty much down the middle on this one. With all the holes to fill in our line-up recently, some think this would be about the most ridiculous thing that Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners could do, while others think this is the perfect time to do it. Let’s weigh the pros and cons out here a little bit.  

• Pro: Granderson is a huge home run hitter. The past two seasons, he lead the majors with 84 homers.

•  Con: He also strikes out, a lot. This season alone he had a whopping 195 strikeouts. The only major league player with more strikeouts this season was Adam Dunn.

• Pro: Granderson has been able to find his swing against left-handed pitchers.

• Con: His numbers have dropped dramatically from 2011 to 2012, going from .262/.364/.552 to .232/.319/.492. He also went from 153 hits and 119 RBI’s to 138 hits and 106 RBI’s.

  

• Con: Granderson is not the greatest defender. Even before the trade talks started, there was speculation over the possibility of moving Brett Gardner to center and Granderson to left. Granderson just doesn’t have the same range of motion anymore.

Granderson is well liked by fans and has more then earned his pinstripes, but I will not sugar coat the situation. It is possible that his time with the Yankees is about to be over. And better to part ways now then to hold on too long and end up regretting it.

It is possible that at the end of next season, when both he and Robinson Cano become free agents, the front office is more likely to work out a contract with Cano then with Granderson. It kind of puts him in the same situation that Nick Swisher was in last year, knowing he may face his last season in New York.

Granderson is looking at $15 million this season. The Mets, Mariners and Phillies are all in need of either a CF or a power hitter and have some spending money to be able to pull it off. The possibility of him being traded is not altogether unrealistic. Being able to trade him gives Cashman the coin and wiggle room he needs to make other deals.

Of course, you have to ask who would be in our outfield? Gardner could possibly take center. I’m still incredibly optimistic that Ichiro Suzuki will be back in pinstripes and will take right. Of course this still leaves us with a hole in left. Raul Ibanez is great but isn’t an everyday player. And those holes in our line-up are starting to worry me a little bit.

For the right player, I don’t think trading Granderson would be half bad. I like Granderson well enough and will continue to follow his career once he leaves, but this is a business. With the winter meetings started, baseball is moving fast. Just look at how quickly Russell Martin turned to the Pirates. If they plan on moving Granderson, they need to get it done now and start filling up those empty positions before we end up with bottom of the barrel picks. This Yankee off-season is beginning to mirror the off-season Boston had last year, which is entirely too much for my liking.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804




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