Curtis Granderson isn’t good enough to significantly improve the Yankees
Curtis Granderson returning to the Yankees would be great for nostalgic fans, but he just isn’t good enough to really help the team.
The idea of Curtis Granderson making a return to New York to fill the Yankees’ hole in the outfield is fun for fans to consider. Unfortunately, it isn’t something that will really help the team. Granderson is a slightly better option than Shane Robinson, but he’s not going to move the needle in the Bronx.
The fact that Granderson cleared waivers today means the Blue Jays are free to trade him. Predictably, that’s caused scores of Yankees fans on social media to call for Brian Cashman to swing a deal for the 37-year-old outfielder. New York is currently short of options in the outfield due to injuries to Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier.
The absence of those two players has forced Aaron Boone to get creative. Part of his attempted solution has been to hand Robinson multiple starts in right field. Very simply, he’s not a MLB quality player. The fact that he’s hitting a paltry .138 in his 29 at-bats on the season makes that pretty obvious. He does provide Boone quality outfield defense, but he’s close to an automatic out with the bat in his hands.
#BlueJays' Curtis Granderson has cleared revocable trade waivers, source tells The Athletic. He's free to be traded anywhere.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 14, 2018
To his credit, Granderson is actually worth of a spot on a major league roster. Age has robbed him of a lot of the skills that made him a dynamic player early in his career, but he’s still managed to hit .234 for 10 home runs on the season for the Blue Jays. Clearly, he’d be an offensive upgrade over Robinson.
The problem is that he would be a significant defensive downgrade. That’s one area where Robinson’s impact on the Yankees has been underrated. He doesn’t make a ton of flashy plays, but he has excellent range for a corner outfielder. That’s a big reason why he’s managed to maintain a neutral WAR despite his ineptitude at the plate.
Granderson gives up the vast majority of the positive value he provides on offense with his shoddy defense. He just can’t run like he used to. Toronto tries to hide him in the corners, but he lacks the range to play effectively there. All defensive metrics show that he’s a significantly negative impact on the Blue Jays’ defense.
Next. Yankees need Luis Severino to find his fastball. dark
Add it all up and acquiring him really isn’t worth the trouble for the Yankees. If Cashman can acquire him for a complete non-prospect, it might be interesting enough to try, but he shouldn’t give up anything of value. The idea of acquiring Granderson is much better than the potential reality for the Yankees.