The New York Mets have had a number of tough years near the bottom of the National League East division and with the 2014 season coming without Matt Harvey, the franchise may try to make a splash in free agency this winter and one option could be former Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson.
The Mets have been linked to a number of players so far in free agency, meeting with former free agent Jhonny Peralta before he signed with the Cardinals and also second baseman Robinson Cano, but now their sights are set on Granderson. According to ESPN New York, the Mets and general manager Sandy Alderson met with Granderson over the weekend and this comes after the outfielder declined a qualifying offer from the Yankees to become a free agent. Granderson dealt with injury problems through the 2013 season, but he has been a durable and versatile player in his career, but the past couple seasons he has mostly been a power hitter in Yankee Stadium.
When the Yankees traded for Granderson they were hoping for more than home run-or-strikeout slugger, but that is mostly what they got over the past few years. This past season Granderson was hurt after getting hit by a ball and breaking his forearm in the spring and then a finger later in the year and he comes in after hitting .232 with 43 home runs and 106 RBIs in 2012. The previous season he also had monster power numbers with 41 home runs and 119 RBIs, but he also hit just .262 and that has been an issue for the Yankees. This season he had seven home runs and 15 RBIs while playing in 61 games and now the Mets have a decision to make at whether or not to offer him a contract.
Granderson was being looked at as a budding superstar when the Yankee acquired him, as he was coming off of two very solid seasons with the Tigers, including in 2010 when he put up unprecedented numbers of 26 doubles, 13 triples, 22 home runs and 112 runs, but his average has slipped since then and now he is more of a power hitter and that may not fit well in the big spaces of Citi Field. Reports have Granderson looking for a four-year, $60 million contract and that is not out of the realm for the Mets, who have not spent on free agents over the past two seasons.
The Mets come in looking to make a splash in free agency and apart from Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Beltran and Nelson Cruz are the top names on the market and they all could get some interest from the team. The Mets have some money to spend and Granderson could be the first one on the list to get a deal.