Blue Jays ink Curtis Granderson to a deal: Fantasy Fallout

By Brad Kelly | Jan 21, 2018

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 17: Curtis Granderson /

The Blue Jays continued to remake their outfield this week by signing Curtis Granderson. What is the fantasy fallout of the deal?

Each passing day brings fantasy owners, and fans alike, closer to Spring Training. The market has been slow, but player movement has started to pick up the last two few weeks. One of the busiest teams this week were the Blue Jays as they continued to reshape their outfield. Their latest addition was Curtis Granderson to one-year deal. What is the fantasy fallout of the news?

Granderson will amazingly be in his 15th MLB season in 2018. It seems like yesterday when he broke on the scene for the Tigers, and then morphed into one of the best power threats in thr majors for the Yankees.

Over the last four seasons with the Mets, and a rough second half for the Dodgers in 2017, he has amassed 102 total HR. Granderson’s game has not changed much since his time with the Yanks. He is not going to win a batting title, but he will draw his share of walks, strikeout, or go deep.

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The move to Toronto was an intriguing one. After his .212/26 HR/64 RBI/.775 OPS line in 2017, most had him off the fantasy radar. Yet, the move back to the A.L. East reopens the idea he could be a useful option once again.

It is no secret that for as good as a power hitter he is, playing at Citi Field has capped his numbers. Over his four seasons in the Queens, he never posted more homers home than away.

The move to the Rogers Centre makes things interesting. Toronto is a launching pad, especially to straightaway left and right, allowing Granderson his first favorable home ballpark favorable park since the Bronx.

Digging deeper into his batted ball data, it is not as though there was a sharp decline. He posted 19% LD, 33% GB, 49% FB, 47% Med and 35% Hard contact rates. Those are still solid for any player, and speaks to that Grandseron’s bat is not dead just yet.

Granderson was drawn to the short porch at Yankee Stadium and altered his approach to pull everything. That has not changed, he notched, he managed a 48% Pull rate in 2017. This of course caps his AVG, he only had a .224 BABIP last season, but still gives him the loft and swing to maximize his time in Toronto.

The Blue Jays do have options now in their outfield. Kevin Pillar is locked in at center, recently acquired Randal Grichuk will surely be in a corner, leaving Granderson, Steve Pearce, and Ezequiel Carerra for the last spot. That also assumes that talented prospect, Teoscar Hernandez, starts in AAA as well.

All things considered, the first guess would be to assume that Granderson and Pearce platoon. But, Pearce was awful versus LHP last season, .207 AVG, so he is not a lock. Carerra was even worse against lefties, .086 AVG, further helping Granderson’s case for time.

Granderson struggled versus RHP in 2017, but is a career .263 versus them and had 23 of his HR off of them as well. Granderson will be on the fantasy freindly side of a platoon, and will once again get his at-bats.

He has immense experience leading off as well, so once he finds his way to the top of the order in front of guys like Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, and Kendrys Morales, the counting stats are there as well.

Next: Blue Jays deal for Randal Grichuk: Fantasy Fallout

Fantasy owners are not going to have to fight over Granderson of draft day. He is nothing more than a flier if that, but owners should not sleep on him landing with the Blue Jays either.

Theres no reason he can not flirt with a .240/35 HR/65 RBI/80 R type of line in 2018.

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