It has become painfully obvious that all major league teams know they can take the extra base on Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson any time they wish to. It’s become as easy to go first to third on Granderson as it is to steal second (then third) on Noah Syndergaard.
Granderson is a fine player and by all accounts an even finer gentleman and teammate. His offensive production has been overall in line with what the team is paying him. He still can run quite well for his age and has good go-get-‘em range skills in the outfield. He just can’t throw, not a lick. There have been plenty of spaghetti armed outfielders in the game – Mickey Rivers, Juan Pierre, and Ben Revere come to mind quickly. What they all have in common is that they are consigned to center field or left. Clubs don’t put them in right and for a darn good reason.
The Mets face a bit of a conundrum in that their best throwing outfielder, Yoenis Cespedes, who would be a great right fielder just does not care to play there. And unlike most baseball situations the team must be careful to stay on his good side because otherwise they might add to the negative side of the ledger when Cespedes decides at season’s end whether he prefers to stay a Met or exercise his opt out clause.
The team however needs to maximize its chance of winning games and every time Granderson allows an extra base that another right fielder would not it increases the opponent’s scoring chances.
It’s my opinion that the team needs to adhere to a logic tree that goes like this:
#1 When Granderson plays he must play LF.
#2 When both Granderson and Cespedes play then Cespedes plays CF
#3 When Juan Lagares plays he plays CF unless the other two outfielders are Grandy and Cesp in which case Lagares plays right field.
We already know that Brandon Nimmo can play any of the outfield positions although he is reputed to be a bit overexposed in center. The Mets should be using Conforto’s AAA time to not only get his swing and confidence back but to expose him to games in RF so that when he shares the outfield with Granderson and Cespedes he can play right.
Granderson has played 45 games in left in his major league career, 10 of those coming in 2014 which was his first season in Flushing. It would be unfair to put him in left immediately but he should be instructed to start shagging balls in left so that some time after the All Star break or pehaps in early August they can make this needed move.
The Mets have often placed players’ comfort over the team’s need. It’s certainly possible they will not make this move with Granderson now or even come next spring. But they should if they are really committed to winning.
I’m not so sure having a strong arm in RF is more important than in LF. You can certainly make a case for LF to cut down on runners trying to score from 2B or 1B on balls hit to LF by the predominance of right handed hitters.
What about when Conforto, you know, the guy with one of the sweetest left handed swings since Jr himself gets recalled? Getting Conforto time in RF makes sense for sure.
Grandy is heading to platoon status.
My opinion is that there’s no way Granderson gets platooned in 2016 and I’d call it unlikely that it happens in 2017, either.
Agree with Brian. Not a lot of $15 million platoon guys out there.
That aside, good post. I do take issue that you separate “what’s god for the team” and a player’s “comfort level.” Often in order to get the best out of a player — a benefit to the team, certainly — you have to be responsive to that player’s comfort level.
Real people, not Strat-O-Matic.
Switching Curtis and Conforto makes sense from an arm perspective. But is it as clear when you consider range and glove and experience playing the walls? Then you factor in the upset of getting two regulars accostuned to new positions, it could easily be a net minus.
Not a perfect situation, but situations so rarely are. I guess I’d live with things how they are. For now.
no, but there are plenty that get released. and quite frankly if hes not hitting hard his value is pretty small.
I can see a starting OF of Ces in LF, Lagares in CF, and Conforto in RF. Grandy is not the answer in RF, and a time will come where he cannot be blocking better players. Nimmo becomes a rover in each position to spell rest and injury. Realistically its time to be thinking exit strategy with Grandy.
If Ces leaves, then the calculus changes to Conforto LF, Lagares CF, Grandy RF
Obviously there will be weird changes for late game maneuvering and injury
If he’s not hitting hard? His season-long stats have a .223 ISO, which is 2nd on the Mets among guys with 100 PA behind Cespedes and he ranks 20th among Qualified NL hitters.
He was terrible the first three weeks of May but he’s been terrific the last 40 games/173 PA with a .286/.387/.524 line
What about Ces in left (all-star), Grandy in center (can still go and get ’em) and Juan and Nimmo in right? Juan can be a late inning replacement for Grandy. When Conforto comes back, Nimmo will probably be sent back. Conforto should be exposed to right as stated.
Granderson makes up for his arm by charging the ball well and being accurate. Still wondering how a player that came up throwing over the top now throws sidearm. Just seems like we have a rotator cuff problem here, but…
The Strongest Arm traditionally went to RF…however, a guy who cannot throw at all????…and that is Grandy. Moving him to LF turns lots of single into Doubles.
He reminds me of an old Yankee, Roy White…. at the end of his career, White was a constant target fro Baserunners. He threw like Grandy’s Grandy.