Tag: Curtis Granderson (Page 2 of 3)

      2010 MLB Preview: AL East

      March 22, 2010 /

      In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

      All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

      First up is the AL East.

      1. New York Yankees (1)
      If you think I would get cute in these rankings and suggest that some upstart team would derail the Yankees this season, then you sir, are sadly mistaken. I just don’t have the conjones to bet against them, especially after they added Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson to their already stacked roster. Sure they lost World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, the latter of which loved to work the count and provided the Yanks with some pop over the last couple of seasons. But thanks to Granderson, Johnson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texeira, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, the lineup is still stacked from top to bottom. Vazquez, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera will once again highlight a strong pitching staff and assuming they don’t suffer any major injuries, there’s nothing to suggest that the Bombers won’t make another championship run. That said, let’s not be oblivious to the potential problems that could arise for the Yanks this season. Age is a factor, as is the fact that Granderson can’t hit lefties and will be under the spotlight as the club’s biggest offseason acquisition. Plus, for as good as Vazquez was over the past couple of years, he was a disaster the last time he wore pinstripes (Boston fans remember this well.) Should the Yankees win another World Series? Yeah – especially considering they have the best-purchased roster in baseball. But just like last year, they still have to prove it between the lines and they’re not immune to hurdles getting in their way.

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      MLB

      Tigers’ signing of Damon a tad perplexing

      February 22, 2010 /

      I get it – Johnny Damon can hit a little and that’s why the Tigers just finalized a one-year, $8 million deal with the free agent over the weekend. But just because he can hit, doesn’t mean the signing makes sense.

      Damon won’t hit another 24 home runs and drive in another 80-plus RBI this season away from Yankee Stadium. Even though he holds a .363 batting average in 189 plate appearances at Comerica Park, it’s likely that he’ll he max out at 15 home runs, 70 RBIs and hit around .290 in a full season in Detroit.

      Is that worth $8 million even if it’s only for one year? Is that worth pushing a deserving Ryan Rayburn (who hit 16 home runs and slugged .533 in 261 at bats last season) into a rotation with Damon, Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez?

      To me, it’s not. I think the Tigers overpaid for what they’ll eventually get in Damon and I’m confused as to why they traded a younger and more athletic Curtis Granderson just so they could turn around and pay a 36-year-old with a wet noodle for an arm. I realize Granderson struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, but he brings way more to the table defensively than Damon does and he’s eight years younger. I just don’t get how one year of Johnny Damon was worth $8 million to a club that will probably wind up in the middle of the AL Central again this year, especially when they already had a DH in Guillen.

      If Damon comes in and flourishes at the top of the Tigers’ lineup, I’ll gladly eat my words. But I just don’t see a lot of value in a club paying $8 million for a player that will certainly have declining numbers.


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      MLB

      Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson in three-team deal

      December 8, 2009 /

      According to Jon Morsoi of FOXSports.com, the Yankees have acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Tigers as part of a three-team deal that also includes the Diamondbacks.

      Here’s how the trade breaks down:

      Yankees Get:
      Curtis Granderson (Tigers)

      Tigers Get:
      Max Scherzer (Diamondbacks)
      Daniel Schlereth (Diamondbacks)
      Phil Coke (Yankees)
      Austin Jackson (Yankees)

      Diamondbacks Get:
      Edwin Jackson (Tigers)
      Ian Kennedy (Yankees)

      The Yankees and Tigers did very well in this deal. The Bronx Bombers get a five-tool player in Granderson, who can play either center or left field depending on whether or not the club re-signs Johnny Damon this winter. Granderson struggles hitting lefties, but he’s only 28-years old and his potential is still very high.

      The Tigers, meanwhile, get financial flexibility by trading Granderson and also hauled in a coup of young talent. Austin Jackson was highly regarded as the Yankees’ centerfielder of the future. He’s 22 and hit .300 with four home runs, nine triples, 23 doubles, 65 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 132 Triple-A games last year. If he continues to develop, he might turn out to be Detroit’s next Granderson.

      Scherzer is a 25-year old, hard-throwing right-hander who can eat up innings and is a workhorse. Schlereth was Arizona’s 2008 first round pick and saw some game action late last season and Coke already has experience at the big league level himself.

      Not to take anything away from the Edwin Jackson, but this seems like a lateral move for Arizona. Scherzer is just as talented as Jackson (if not more talented), so why part with him and Schlereth to complete this deal? They better hope Kennedy starts fulfilling some of his potential or this might look like a bad deal for the D-Backs in a couple years.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Angels interested in Curtis Granderson

      November 25, 2009 /

      Along with the Yankees and several other teams, the Angels are interested in Tigers’ outfielder Curtis Granderson, whom could be available this winter for the right package of prospects.

      From the Detroit Free Press:

      According to the report, a Tigers executive said the team would rather move Jackson than Granderson. Another person told Foxsports.com that the Angels would be a premier trade partner because of Los Angeles’ depth in areas the Tigers need, namely catcher, shortstop and minimum-salary pitching.

      In other rumor news, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that a person familiar with the situation said talks between the Tigers and the Mariners regarding Granderson and Jackson have cooled off.

      The book on Granderson is that he’s a five-tool player, but he can’t hit left-handed pitching. Still, he would upgrade any outfield he winds up (if he’s traded) in, while also offering plenty of speed and a fair amount of pop as well.

      If the Tigers do decide to part ways with him, Granderson will be one of the most sought after bats available this offseason. (Along with Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, of course.)


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Yankees to deal for Tigers’ Granderson?

      November 11, 2009 /

      According to a report by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Tigers have let it be known that outfielder Curtis Granderson is available for the right package and that the Yankees might be interested.

      Granderson would be attractive to many teams, with the Yankees near the top of the list. They have long searched for a premium solution in center since Bernie Williams left his prime, but now they also face the loss of the lefty power of free agents Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Granderson hit a career-high 30 homers last year.

      Brian Cashman met with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski at the now-concluded GM Meetings, but it is not believed the two did any more than discuss needs and available players. However, the two have a good relationship and have done significant trades before, going back to when Dombrowski was in Florida and obtained Mike Lowell from the Yanks to the more recent Gary Sheffield deal and the swap of Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez.

      The Yankees have a touted center field prospect in Austin Jackson, who could be the centerpiece for a deal, though Detroit would have a market outside of just The Bronx.

      Granderson has the talent to be a five-tool player, but he struggles mightily against left-handed pitching. That said, he would offer the Yankees a major upgrade in the outfield, especially if Johnny Damon (who throws like a sissy) leaves via free agency.

      You know the Yankees would have no problem picking up the $25.72 million that Granderson is owed over the next three seasons. But whether or not they could put together the right package is the question.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

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