When Curtis Granderson signed with the Mets after playing four seasons with the Yankees, he said that “Mets fans were real baseball fans”, or so he was told. He was expected to maybe have two good seasons, with the final two being a complete wash. Granderson, to his credit, lasted four years with a fair amount of consistency. He’d have one or two months of superior production, some deep funks, but he was mostly healthy, he played anywhere he was asked, and he left a lasting impression on the young players in the clubhouse.
It’s all over now, as after a useless loss to the Marlins on Friday Granderson was the latest in the line of Dudas and Reeds and Bruces and Walkers to march out the door. Granderson was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers with cash, for a player to be named later, or cash. Which works out to be an interesting exchange of cash … the type of deal the Wilpons are familiar with.
The Dodgers have acquired Curtis Granderson. I'm told the deal will be announced shortly. Enjoy your Friday.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) August 19, 2017
Dodgers have acquired Curtis Granderson and cash considerations from Mets in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 19, 2017
@cgrand3 😢😭
— dominicsmith.eth (@TheRealSmith2_) August 19, 2017
First question I want answered is: How is it that the Marlins television guy had this first?
Cannot confirm but from well placed @mlb source, word is @mets are trading CurtisGranderson and C Rene Rivera, both not in lineup
— . (@CraigMinervini) August 19, 2017
Second thing: Granderson will be missed. But it was close to that time anyway. And the Mets did him a favor by trading him to the prohibitive favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. The Dodgers are getting a solid depth guy (and he’ll probably be stritctly depth as with Adrian Gonzalez back, Cody Bellinger will go to left field and with Joc Pederson* and Yasiel Puig in the outfield the Dodgers are pretty much set) and they are the one team in the league that can afford to trade for “veteran presence”, “intangibles” and “overall good guys”. And Granderson, as evidenced by his final at-bat as a Met … a grand slam against the Yankees … can pop one out every once in a while.
It’s important to remember that the Mets probably don’t make the playoffs in ’15 and ’16 without the efforts of Granderson. I’ve been frustrated with his cold streaks at times, and his overall numbers took a dip from his time with the Tigers and Yankees (to be expected from ages 33-36). But when it was time to turn it on, Granderson turned it on. After the arrival of Yoenis Cespedes, Granderson hit .282 and had an OPS of .931 to help blow the Nationals out of the water in the N.L. East race. (He also had a good month of June that season as well.) In 2016, when it looked like Granderson might be finished (which many expected when he signed the contract), he hit .302 in September with an OPS of 1.028 to complete the improbable run to the Wild Card game, where his crashing catch against the center field wall preserved a 0-0 tie and would have been remembered more fondly had it not been for Conor Gillaspie.
The 2017 version of Granderson saw two horrible months, three very good ones, including a late push right before his trade, and professionalism in the face of a crumbling infrastructure in Met-land. It was this season that it was made increasingly clear that his next job after baseball should be to run for Mayor of New York. He’d win, and it wouldn’t be close.
As for his clubhouse influence being lost, it’s going to make for a depressing six weeks in that room for sure. New leaders must emerge, and emerge they will. Granderson’s lessons don’t leave once Granderson leaves. Or at least they shouldn’t. Because if they do, it says a lot about who is left. And that’s why I’m never a fan of signing somebody to be a “clubhouse guy” before you worry about acquiring talent. Leadership comes organically, and Curtis distributed it by the bushel. If the players that are left truly appreciate what Granderson taught them about being professionals, then they won’t forget those lessons. Not Conforto, not Rosario, not anybody. It’s doubly important during this, a losing season, to take Curtis’ influence forward, and that’s why he’ll be missed.
Good luck, Curtis.
When you see Chase, kick him in the shin.
And put it on Instagram.
Today’s Hate List
- Chase Utley
- But I can overlook that …
- … for now …
- … to wish Curtis well …
- … in Los Angeles.
*Joc Pederson has apparently been sent down to AAA. Curtis is actually going to play some ball with the Dodgers. Imagine that.
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