The New York Mets’ sell off claimed another player last night when outfielder Curtis Granderson was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash or a player to be named later. Granderson is the fifth veteran on an expiring contract to be traded away in the past month, which has allowed General Manager Sandy Alderson to clear some salary off the books and add some relief pitching prospects to the Mets’ farm system. Even though the returns haven’t been overwhelming, Alderson has at least gotten something for players he would have received nothing for if they left in free agency. There is a good chance, however, that the Mets might be done dealing.
Granderson was one of the Mets’ last valuable assets left on the roster, which now features mostly untouchable pitchers and unproven youngsters. Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera has also cleared trade waivers and was drawing interest a month ago, so he could still be moved, but the Mets have warmed to the idea of picking up Cabrera’s option for 2018 to use him at either second or third. The only other player who might get moved is backup catcher Rene Rivera, who could round out a contender’s bench, but he wouldn’t net a lot in a trade.
If those two stay put, the Mets’ sell off would be over. The final tally for Alderson would be roughly 12-15 million dollars in payroll savings and six prospects, three of which now rank in the organization’s top 30 according to MLB.com’s prospect rankings. This isn’t a blowout haul like the one the New York Yankees netted in their fire sale last summer, but Alderson did decently since there wasn’t a ton of demand for the players he was willing to sell. The real question will be how Alderson uses the payroll savings this winter. If that money is reinvested into a few players that help the 2018 team win, the perception of Alderson’s take will improve significantly.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
