Curtis Granderson Rumors: Friday
3:55pm: The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers tweets that the Cubs are not yet involved in trade talks for Granderson, "but will become aggressive when the Tigers are ready for offers."
9:38am: The Angels and Tigers have discussed a trade for center fielder Curtis Granderson, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff says the Halos would use Granderson in left field and either shift Juan Rivera to DH or trade him. In my opinion, the Angels could fill several needs cheaply for the Tigers with players such as Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood. Davidoff adds that the Yankees "think very highly" of Granderson and the Cubs are "expected to inquire." Talking to the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers, Baseball America's Jim Callis suggested the Cubs are in the best position of these three suitors to acquire Granderson.
Granderson, 29 in March, hit .249/.327/.453 in 710 plate appearances this year. His defense is at least respectable. His contract is reasonable - $25.75MM guaranteed over the next three years. ESPN's Keith Law, however, considers Granderson a platoon player given his inability to hit lefties.
Odds & Ends: Uggla, Granderson, Lackey
Links for Thursday…
- MLBTR will be mentioned on ESPN2's SportsNation program today at 3pm CST, check it out!
- FanGraphs' Dave Cameron thinks the Marlins are shopping Dan Uggla a year late, and believes he'd be expensive enough in 2011 that the Marlins "are really only selling one year of value."
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says not to dismiss the Uggla-to-left field rumor, in relation to the Braves.
- Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald at the GM Meetings that "one club, I think, changed course a little bit, with more players being available." Silverman figures Epstein was referring to the Reds or Tigers.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post plays around with various Curtis Granderson-Yankees scenarios and effects. Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs must pursue Granderson. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs have yet to pursue him, but "conversations appear inevitable."
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin had a sit-down with John Lackey's agent Steve Hilliard this week, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan sees a three-year deal worth $18-24MM for Marlon Byrd, though he notes the limited demand for center fielders.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman looks at American players who could wind up or remain in Japan in 2010.
- Carl Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell had an excellent first meeting with the Twins Wednesday night, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. In another article, Christensen notes that Glen Perkins settled his service time grievance with the Twins.
Odds & Ends: Griffey, Tigers, Torrealba
Let's have a look at another handful of evening links….
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that new Padres GM Jed Hoyer will sit down with Adrian Gonzalez next week to discuss the first baseman's future.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com shares his thoughts on the trades that have transpired so far during the hot stove season.
- Scott Miller of CBS Sports wraps up his observations from the GM meetings, and includes a quote from Angels GM Tony Reagins, saying the team will try their best to retain both John Lackey and Chone Figgins. I think they'd be doing very well if they were able to bring back even one of the two.
- What do the Cleveland Indians need to do to improve in 2010? The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes suggests that, considering the team's lack of payroll flexibility, the Indians just have to hope for better performances from many of their players.
- In comments relayed by Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik was vague when asked about Ken Griffey Jr.'s playing time in 2010. Griffey and the Mariners reached an agreement earlier today, but it sounds like Junior could have a lesser role next season — particularly if the team is able to retain Russell Branyan and add another bat or two.
- Despite recent rumors about the availability of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, the Detroit Tigers don't intend to have a fire sale, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter).
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says that if Granderson is available, the Cubs need to pursue him.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post has additional details on Yorvit Torrealba's possible future with the Colorado Rockies.
- After hearing Scott Boras compare Matt Holliday to last winter's big free agent prize, Mark Teixeira, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes a detailed look at how the two players' values compare.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that a few GMs came away from this week's meetings thinking that the market for the elite free agents this year will be "very, very limited."
- Ever the optimist, Scott Boras disagrees with this assessment of the market, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Boras argues that "we hear this every year" and predicts that the top free agents will still receive "mega-contracts."
Curtis Granderson Becomes Available
The Tigers are letting teams know center fielder Curtis Granderson is available, according to an NL executive who talked to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. Sherman believes the Yankees would have interest.
Sherman qualifies the rumor, saying Granderson nor Edwin Jackson are players the Tigers truly want to trade. Sherman notes that Jackson appeals to both New York teams.
While we named Granderson in our center fielder trade market post, we didn't think he was really available. One thing I learned writing that post is that Granderson's 2009 batting line was misleading, and he's well worth the $25.75MM owed to him over the next three seasons. The Tigers could restock the cupboards with a Granderson trade. Pure speculation, but might the Cubs be interested in the Illinois native? Way back in March of '07, Granderson talked to us about the possibility of playing in Chicago.
Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Braves, Indians, Jenks
Some more links for the afternoon…
- You heard all about one big trade that the Blue Jays didn't make, but Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears the Jays were talking about another blockbuster. The Blue Jays made a play for Victor Martinez before the trade deadline this year, with an eye to contention in 2010.
- Rival GMs expect the Braves to pursue a right-handed hitter to play a corner infield or outfield position, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- The Indians are considering "eight to 10" possible managers, according to the AP (via ESPN). GM Mark Shapiro says he hasn't asked permission to speak with candidates in other organizations. He says MLB experience is "helpful, but not a necessity."
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Bobby Jenks will be tough to trade this offseason. In fact, Jenks is as much a non-tender candidate as he is a trade candidate.
- The Boston Globe reports that the Padres will consider Red Sox execs Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington "very seriously" for the team's GM vacancy.
- Bill Shaikin of the LA Times wonders if John Lackey might see offers worth $100MM if he pitches well in October.
- Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wonders if the Tigers will consider moving Curtis Granderson this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Granderson, Magglio, Hampton
Another round of links…
- Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wonders if the Tigers will consider offers for Curtis Granderson after the season. Though he has 27 homers and 20 steals, Granderson has struggled at the plate this year, particularly against lefties. He has a batting average on balls in play below .300 for the first time in his career, and it has factored in to a .248/.331/.457 line that's solid, but below Granderson's standard. (He's hitting more fly balls than usual, which could explain the BABIP dip and rise in homers.)
- After months of anticipation, it looks like Magglio Ordonez will see his 2010 option kick in tonight. With three more trips to the plate, he can guarantee himself an $18MM salary next year.
- Mike Hampton had surgery on his left rotator cuff and will miss the 2010 season, according to MLB.com's Alyson Footer.
- If Josh Johnson makes all of his scheduled starts, he'll earn $50K in incentives before the season ends, as MLB.com's Joe Frisaro points out.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post says there's a reasonable chance Jason Giambi returns to the Rockies next season.
Odds & Ends: Closers, Holliday, Kent
Links for Wednesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- Interesting diary entry from an anonymous pro scout over at Baseball America. Don't bug these guys at games.
- Digging for saves? RotoAuthority has the latest Closer Report.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker looks at the Japanese free agents for the 2009-10 offseason.
- Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN wrote about Matt Holliday's future.
- Justin Murphy of Seamheads.com examines the three Jeff Kent trades.
- Curtis Granderson wrote an article for Yahoo about protecting his identity.
Tigers Roster Set, No Trades Likely
The Tigers have been at the center of a number of recent trade rumors. There was the Huston Street rumor, and the Mike Wuertz rumor. But the one player that seemed the most likely to go, Brandon Inge, is still a member of the Tigers and now it appears that he will not be going anywhere in the near future.
Jim Leyland was asked yesterday if there would be any last-minute deals.
"My boss (general manager Dave Dombrowski) said it was OK to tell you that’s the team."
In fact it now looks like Inge will be the everyday center fielder, at least for the time being, as Curtis Granderson will start the season on the DL. Inge’s $6.2MM salary for 2008 suddenly doesn’t seem like that much of a burden.
Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.
Granderson Has Multiyear Deal Talks
According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers had preliminary talks earlier this month with Curtis Granderson‘s agent regarding a long-term contract. The Tigers initiated the conversation, but they didn’t discuss length or amount. Must’ve been a short meeting, right?
Morosi suggests the Tigers’ recent model of buying out one year of free agency could result in a deal for Granderson of five or more years. He’s eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.
Granderson, 27 in March, hit .302/.361/.552 for the Tigers in ’07. If he figures out lefties, he’s a superstar. The Fielding Bible’s panel of experts ranked his defense fifth among center fielders.
Curtis Granderson Interview
Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson was kind enough to answer a few questions for MLBTradeRumors.com. He seems like a smart guy; I was impressed by the content and honesty of his answers. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him in a Cubs uniform ten years from now.
Curtis writes an MLBlog and has a MySpace page as well. On to the Q&A:
When did you first realize that you might one day play in the Major Leagues?
Honestly the first time was when I got called up in 2004 after our final game in AA Erie. Up until that point, I thought about and hoped I would be able to, but never thought I would get a chance to do it so fast.
You grew up near Chicago. What would it be like for you to play for the Cubs or White Sox one day?
For me it would be a little rough to play for one of the Chicago teams, because I know so many people there. A lot of the people that I know there are also big fans of one or both of those teams, and would try to get a lot of information out of me. I’m not sure if I would want to play there, but towards the end of my career I could see it possibly. I know I will always have a house in Chicago, so you can never discount anything.
Do you have any lineup preference? Do you take a different approach leading off than if you are hitting in another spot?
Honestly my favorite spot to hit is the second spot, but I haven’t done that in almost two years. The second spot gives you a lot of freedom especially if your leadoff hitter gets on. The second hitter can move a runner over by bunting, hit and run, or getting a hit through the hole at 1 st base. In the leadoff spot my approach really only changes in the leadoff spot later in the game when our team really needs me to get on base. I have to try my best to get on base any way possible. That is really the only time, and when I lead the game off, I’m not trying to draw a walk, I’m not trying to see pitches, I’m trying to get a hit and get on base.
I’ve read that you’re trying a new batting stance. How is that going so far? Do you think you’ll stick with it?
The new stance is very simple. All we (Lloyd McClendon and I) did was try to eliminate a lot of wasted movement before I swing at the baseball. Hopefully this will make me quicker to the ball and allow for easy correction if something wrong starts happening over a period of time. It has worked out pretty well for the most part this spring, but it is only spring training. Pitchers aren’t at 100 percent yet, so when the season starts and we get a month into it, we will see how it is. I like it right now though.
Are there any players on the club who serve as mentors for you?
I’m not sure if there is one particular mentor for me on this team because a lot of people have been teaching me different things since I made my debut in 2004. Nate Robertson and Vance Wilson have taught me different things about the Players Union. Craig Monroe, Gary Sheffield, and Marcus Thames are teaching me different things about hitting situations. Andy Van Slyke has taught me a lot about baserunning and also playing the outfield. Kenny Rogers teaches me different things about how opposing pitchers might pitch me. So you can see that everyone has been taking a role in trying to develop and build me into a better player.