Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Dodgers Pick Up Curtis Granderson

Curtis Granderson

Not like the Dodgers need him, but according to reports the Dodgers have acquired left handed hitting outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Mets. The Mets will send the Dodgers cash or a player to be named later to complete the swap. The deal was announced by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com

The 36-year old veteran has been with the Mets for the past four seasons. He’s put up great power numbers with high strikeout rates and good on-base skills. Granderson blasted 30 home runs in 2016 and 26 long balls in 2015 with the Mets. But he’s struck out over 130 times in each of the last three seasons.

Granderson enjoyed productive seasons with the Tigers and Yankees before coming over to the Mets in 2014. At one point he smacked over 40 home runs in consecutive seasons (41 in 2011 and 43 in 2012) with the Yankees and led the league in runs batted in (119) back in 2011. This season he’s struggled to make contact once again (90 whiffs) but has hit 19 home runs and driven in 52 in 395 plate appearances in Gotham. Overall he’s posted a .228/.334/.481 slash line with an .815 OPS and 11 OPS+.

Defensively he can play all three outfield positions but has seen most of his playing time in centerfield. He’s played over 1200 games in centerfield while also seeing 445 games in right field as well. He’s got a strong throwing arm collecting 73 outfield assists, most of them from center.

Granderson gives the Dodgers an experienced postseason bat. The veteran has slugged 29 postseason home runs and posted a .797 career postseason OPS in 51 games. If you remember he batted .389 (7 for 18) in the 2015 NLDS against the Dodgers. He also hit three home runs in the 2015 World Series against the Royals.

This doesn’t mean that Granderson is going to displace Joc Pederson in center field despite the youngster’s recent struggles at the plate. More than likely Granderson will serve as an extra bat off the bench and get occasional starts in September. With Franklin Gutierrez out the Dodgers were without a dedicated fifth outfielder. Although the Dodgers also have long time stalwart Andre Ethier set for a return to action later in the month.

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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Scott Andes
Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic
https://ladodgerreport.com

50 thoughts on “Dodgers Pick Up Curtis Granderson

  1. This is not a bad move. It protects against any contingencies in the outfield with a vet that has been playing well since early May (like the rest of our team actually, since early May), even if both Puig and Joc go into a postseason funk and Ethier can’t make it back, and we get a month to see if he is has gas in the tank.

    Another thing, is it just me or does AGon look lighter and fitter. Just not looking soft after all this time off is good to see. And I think Joc gets that Upton double in the first if he was a few pounds lighter. Utley and AGon are old guys that have to work harder just to keep in shape; Joc really needs to look in the mirror, literally and figuratively.

    Finally Bellinger almost got that Upton fly ball – just tough luck, but I think he’s risky to put in center, as some bloggers are suggesting. It’s just asking too much of him to play LF and CF.

    1. I agree and what is surprising is that this move came out of no where. There was not one little bit of inkling that this was happening. I think it accomplishes 2 things. It gives them another natural CF who hits for power, and it gives them a chance to send Joc down to work on his swing in the minors. About that ball that Joc missed, His weight had nothing to do with him missing the ball. If you watch the replay closely, Joc actually jumped too high. The ball went UNDER his glove. He mis timed his jump and then jumped to high. Trust me, I watched it 5 times in slo mo. Upton’s homer went off of Bellinger’s glove. Another thing that happens is that I think this pickup means Andre Either has zero chance of playing in the playoffs even if he is healthy. He can be on the post season roster even though he has not played a game because he has been with the team all year. I do not think that Grandyman will be as horrible as Reddick was last year.

      1. Joc did miss time his jump, but part of the reason he did that, is because he can’t jump very well, so he tried to over jump, to make up for that deficit.

      2. The ball did go off Bellinger’s glove, but he was coming up to that ball, at a very different angle then Joc did.

        Joc was right behind the ball, Bellinger was not only trying to catch up to the ball, he had to jump at a side ways angle.

        And that is a big difference!

  2. Granderson had faced most of the NL pitchers, so he has that on Reddick. Still no excuses for Reddick though – he was horrid.

    1. YF

      Your right about Granderson facing most of the pitchers in the National League.

      His OPS against Arrieta, is in the 1000s, and his OPS is also in the 900s against Tanner Roark, and Max Scherzer.

  3. Bad news. Dayton hurt himself. Don’t think it’s bad but it’s late in the season and he needs the reps to get back.

  4. My first thought about this was adios Joc. Granderson’s split against RHP is .230/.349/.504, an .835 OPS which is actually only marginally better than Joc’s .785. Granderson’s dWAR, like Joc’s, is a negative number. He’s 36, an age FAZ seems to like and obviously several years past his prime, but maybe coming to a team like the Dodgers will rejuvenate him for a couple months. It looks like it will only cost money, and the Dodgers have plenty of that.

    I like this team with AGon back in the lineup. Bellinger is a very good outfielder so having him in left is a good thing.

    Looks like Forsythe is attempting to put together one of those streaks. .391/.483/.522 in the last 14 days. I’d like to see that in Ocrtober. Hope he’s not peaking too soon. That’s a joke. Sort of.

    1. Hello Badger – hope life is good.
      Adding Agon & Granderson to what we have already can only be a plus.
      Unfortunately Joc has stunk the joint out for a while now & has had more than enough chances.

      We are certainly gearing up for the post season with the Granderson signing, and his October numbers are impressive.

      FAZ have certainly gone for it this year, where I know we both felt they didn’t do enough these past couple on years.

  5. I’m lost as to why they would get another left-handed hitting outfielder. They designated a pitcher to get him a 40 man roster spot but they are still going to have to move someone off the 25 to bring him up. Joc? Maybe but more likely one of the ratty relief pitchers will take a 10 day vacation. They got him cheap enough but questions remain. A right handed hitter would have been more appropriate. Maybe they took him just to keep another team from taking him. Maybe they just made the trade because they could, like a lot of Ned’s deals… My hope is that there is another deal in the works that causes this one to make sense.

    1. Our right handed thunder pickup – Guttierez – didn’t exactly work out. Maybe the FAZ crystal balls say we will be facing RH stud pitchers all the way through the playoffs so prepare platoons for that.

      Hey W. Good to see you. I’m hanging in there. Thanks for asking. Just hoping to get through another several years of national stupidity. We got through it before, hopefully we get through it again. I’d ask what people there think, but I already know. Hope all is well with you.

      Yeah jonah, like I said, my initial reaction to Granderson is a left handed centerfielder has to go. Why else would they do this? There are only 25 spots on the roster. Joc and Granderson fill the same spot on that roster. Somefin gotta give. Adios Joc. The churn of relief pitchers will continue. I’m still waiting for the churn of old brittle starters.

      1. The only way the Granderson deal makes sense is if there is a bigger deal underway that aligns with it. Granderson is an older, slower, more expensive Joc. Perhaps another deal is happening that would remove Joc from the roster? And don’t say Stanton is impossible. FAZ loves a challenge. Joc, Hill, McCarthy, Kazmir and ??? And don’t tell me they don’t want pitchers like that, I know it and I know we don’t want them either. The point is to offset enough of Stanton’s salary to make him acceptable.

        1. Jonah

          Granderson has much better defensive metrics then Joc, and he has been tearing it up, in his last 250 at bats!

          But you might be right, about there being another move!

    1. Granderson makes $15 MM this year, so almost $5 MM is still due him. The Mets sent some money, not yet disclosed how much… The deal only makes sense if he replaces Joc, and not a lot of sense even then. We probably shouldn’t try to read too much into it, it could be one of those meaningless deals GMs sometimes do simply because they can. Ned did that a lot.

  6. Granderson wasn’t only brought here for his bat, although his bat has been very good in his last 250 at bats.

    He is hitting 275 and his OBA 398, and he is slugging in the 600s, in his last 250 at bats.

    And like I said above it isn’t just Granderson’s bat, he has much better defensive metrics then Joc does, and he is in his late 30s!

    1. So, do you think Joc is gone? Granderson is 36 and a free agent this fall, surely FAZ has no thoughts of re-signing him!

      1. Jonah

        For the way things looks, it looks like Joc’s job might be on the line, but you just never know with these guys.

        They are thinking so ahead of us, at times, you just don’t know.

        But from what Granderson has done in his last 250 at bats, it doesn’t look smart to not have him play center, especially when he is playing better defense, then Joc is, right now.

        But like I already said, you just might be right, about another move coming.

  7. Someone on the other blog says he saw somewhere that the Dodgers also got catcher Rene Rivera from the Mets and he thinks Farmer is the player to be named later. Could be Farmer because they could not likely get him through waivers now to trade him but he could be named after the season is over. I can’t find confirmation for any of that, but it is possible.

  8. That person sounds clueless and speculative rather than informed.

    Rivera went to the Cubs.

    Looks like Pederson optioned. His last option I think.

  9. Personally, I think you are all way over thinking this thing. This move was made to bolster the offense. Getting a battle tested veteran with playoff experience can only be a plus. There is no major move in the works this late in the season and doing anything that drastic could upset the chemistry of the team. As far as Pederson, he will most likely get sent down to AAA. His weight, MJ had nothing to do with him missing that ball last night, he simply mis timed his jump. He was right where the ball came down, and how can you not jump well and yet get your glove higher than the wall? He took the correct route. I have seen him make a lot of plays where he has jumped and caught the ball. He, like almost every one in the ball park probably thought the ball was going further than it did, because even Joe thought it was going out. Bellinger’s close call was as much because he is 4 inches taller, as it is jumping ability. But the trade for Granderson is in no way a prelude to a big trade involving someone like Stanton.

    1. Michael

      That isn’t the first time I have noticed that Joc has had trouble, jumping up, so my opinion isn’t based, on that one play yesterday!

      You might be right that it has nothing to do with Joc’s weight, but I have noticed he has had trouble jumping up, for balls this year!

      I don’t really know why Joc’s defense has seemed to go down, but with the lack of speed he has, as compared to other centerfielders, any weight gain, could come into play, very easily.

      I only noticed that Joc had more girth in his legs, but I assumed he was doing more weight training with his legs, since the first time, he came up to the team.

      But when Jonah showed the two different pictures of Joc, from his first year to now, Joc does look like he has put on some weight, since his very first year!

      And that could affect Joc very easily, especially since he doesn’t possess the speed, that most centerfielders have, in the majors!

  10. Filler
    Filler
    Starting lineups
    Pos Dodgers Pos Tigers
    CF Taylor 2B Kinsler
    SS Seager (L) RF Mahtook
    DH Turner LF Upton
    RF Bellinger (L) 1B Cabrera
    CF Granderson (L) 3B Castellanos
    C Grandal (S) DH Martinez (S)
    1B Gonzalez (L) C McCann
    3B Forsythe CF Jones
    2B Utley (L) SS Iglesias
    Time: 1:05 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports 1

  11. The player DFA’d was Dylan Floro. A waiver wire pick up about 2 months ago. Joc has plenty of options left, he is only in his 3rd year and has never been on the AAA shuttle in that time. Dodger Blue is speculating that either Joc or Kike will be sent down. Me? Well I will know when it is posted some time before game time today.

    1. Or maybe another deal?????
      From the lineup, I gather the Dodgers think Taylor is a better CF than Granderson, and Bellinger is a better RF than he.

      1. I see, both Taylor and Granderson are sharing CF. I hope Detroit doesn’t figure that out and hit a lot of balls to LF….

        1. Jonah

          I see this is that Granderson has the experience in center, and Taylor has enough speed, to make up for any bad routes he may run, but playing center, at Dodger stadium, is not that hard, compared to other venues!

          And if they are going to play Taylor in center, I think he should play center everyday, so he can gain more experience, on the road, in these bigger outfields.

      2. Jonah

        The key is that Taylor and Cody, have more speed.

        And Granderson can also be valuable in the post season.

        Because not only has Granderson got use to the pitchers in the National League, he has also faced a lot of pitchers, in the American League too!

  12. MJ, pretty obvious the Detroit Office doesn’t believe in statistics. I believe it was the 8th inning, maybe before, Puig came up with runners on and the Detroit Manager took out a lefty and brought in a right handed pitcher to pitch to him. Bingo! Puig hits a single….

    1. Jonah

      Some managers, just go with the old adage, that righties hit lefties better, but as you alluded, Puig isn’t hitting lefties at all, this year.

      1. Can’t help you there. I loved the movie and remember it well. Don’t remember anything about a bar, unless Teri Garr reminded you of a barkeeper…

        1. Jonah

          I guess the difference of Bar keeper, and bartender.

          Remember all of those people who were all upset, about the monster, maybe they came out of a tavern, mad about the monster.

        2. Jonah

          I liked all the dark or dry humor, in that movie!

          I do have a dry sense of humor, but some people might just call it, a sick sense of humor..

          But I think you got me beat, on that!

  13. SATURDAY: The Dodgers have agreed to take on some of the salary on what’s left of Granderson’s contract, but not the entire amount, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Mets agreed to take on the remainder in exchange for the player to be named. The Mets will get some of that money back if the two sides can’t agree on the player, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.
    $3.6 MM still owed him.

    1. Jonah

      I do think this just might be, the best thing for Joc right now.

      There is only two weeks left in AAA, and for some reason, Joc likes working with the hitting coach at AAA, more then his hitting instructors, for the Major League team.

      And Joc did hit well, in September last year.

      Steve Garvey said that he wanted to see Joc learn how to work with his hands a little better, to learn to go to the opposite field, when he is down at AAA.

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