Curtis Granderson received an offer from the New York Yankees, but rumors are flying in that he will eventually turn that deal down. FOX's own, Ken Rosenthal believes the Yankees will be without a corner outfielder since the free agent pool should look better for Granderson.
Who is starting these rumors?
Granderson has options as Rosenthal points out. Many teams will worry about forfeiting a top draft pick, but some needy teams in baseball will not hesitate to go after Grandy, especially since he will stick around for the short term as he is now 33 years old. Short term deals with players of great character and demeanor is the way to go nowadays. Look at the Boston Red Sox.
Rosenthal compares Granderson's situation (age, production, salary) to a former Yankee, Nick Swisher. Many thought Swisher received a ton of money, but the Cleveland Indians stepped up and purchased the outfielder and look at how close they came to making it out of the 2013 A.L. Wild Card Game. They had a great season and Swisher was a huge part of that run.
Granderson's years in baseball are counted. Again, he is 33 years old and his best years are behind him, but that does not mean he cannot give a team three or four seasons of 20-homerun baseball. In fact, in the last two full seasons Granderson played, he led the Yankees in home runs and drove in over 100 RBI. He was injured in 2013, but Rosenthal says it best, "It's not as if he has chronic leg or back problems."
We should expect Granderson to be the Granderson of old as long as he is 100 percent.
Who is interested or should chase Granderson?
This is the list Rosenthal compiled and he considered them for different reasons, but mainly because they draft later in the first round or have their first-round picks protected. You have the Chicago Cubs & White Sox as the top spots since Granderson hails from the Windy City. There's also the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies.
All of these teams are trying to find themselves at the moment and though he is 33 years of age, Granderson could be a huge part in helping them make runs in their respective divisions. The Phillies look like the safest bet to make it to the postseason, but the White Sox are just a few parts away from once again being a relevant squad in the A.L. Central.
Check back with Sports World Report as we will continue updating the Yankees offseason rumors as well as Granderson's status in the free agent market. Remember, he can accept the qualifying offer, but if he does not, chances are the outfielder will see a hefty paycheck from somewhere else.
