I heard it on Sportscenter this morning, and I wanted to cry… but I’m a man, so I didn’t. There’s no crying about baseball.
During his rookie year, I got Curtis Granderson on my fantasy baseball team early in the season, just about the time when he started to heat up. I was sure to watch all the Detroit Tigers highlights on sporting news shows to see how he was doing. Along with the Tigers other young players, Curtis Granderson was a big reason why the Tigers have become my favorite American League team, far surpassing the Baltimore Orioles. I even have a Tigers baseball hat.
I’ve made a point of having him on my fantasy baseball teams ever since that season, and next year – if I play fantasy baseball – I won’t be as adamant about trying to draft / trade for Granderson. If I have him on my team at all, I’ll be conflicted.
Apparently the Yankees / Arizona Diamondbacks / Detroit Tigers are working out a three-way deal that would send Granderson to New York… and it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Please, let this deal fall through. A-Rod to Boston fell through, so if Curtis is leaving Detroit, why can’t Curtis end up somewhere else? ANYWHERE else but the Evil Empire.
I’ll be honest.. I like this deal for Detroit a LOT. Granderson isn’t avery good lead off hitter. Is an average defender. THe positives are his power and that he’s left handed in a stadium where hitting a HR to right field requires little league power.
But fret not Tiger’s fans.
Detroit is getting a couple very good young pitchers. That are major league ready (Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth – who is the son of former NFL player and current ESPN Football analyst Mark Schlereth’s son) Ian Kennedy who the Yankees wouldn’t include in a trade for Johan Santana a few years ago. Also in the deal is Phil Coke who was a clutch lefty out of the Bronx Bomber’s bullpen, and was very important down the stretch.
Guys like Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian have said they think Schlereth will be a closer some day. Which is something else Detroit needs. So even if its not THIS year. If he ends up closing for Detroit in the next 2-3? That’d be another windfall for the Detroit.
Detroit is sending Edwin Jackson to Arizona who had a break out year, but they get more depth with out sacrificing much in the way of ability. Plus I’m not convinced Jackson will continue to be as good as he was last season. He has the stuff, but hasn’t been consistent. Which is an issue with any young pitcher. So I think Detroit did a great job of “selling high” here.
Ultimately this is the fun of the MLB “hot stove” offseason. We won’t have our answers on whether this was good for Detroit, Arizona, and New York until next year.
SirMHayesXIV hit it right on the head – Granderson has speed but his OPS is low and he’s just not a “set the table” kind of guy that a club like Detriot would need. The pitching benefits then to Detroit here are quite large as I REALLY like Max Scherzer, and maybe the change of scenery could be a big help to Kennedy. Coke is solid and a closer would help the Tigers big time.
I totally dig wanting the Evil Empire to just not another in its long list of cast members – but Detroit made out on this deal.
Actually if Jackson pans out for D-backs, the Yankees may have come in third in this trade in terms of value.
Hahaha. This is a weird article. I guess it does bring to light the fine line of personal emotions with sports and fantasy sports. You see, I HATE HATE the Boston Red Sox with a passion. I get an urge to punch a college age guy who is wearing one slightly crooked to the side every time I see them; If a hot girl wears Sox stuff, I instantly think less of how good looking she is, etc. But if I needed say a second baseman, and that dorky little elf Pedrioa ia available? I am taking him. Hell, as a Colts fan, I tried to draft Tom Brady the year he set the record for TDs.
Now, onto talking about the trade. I didn’t like the trade for the Bombers because we moved 2 young prospects and a reliever that other people saw as value. They were pieces that could have been used to get Doc. Our pressing need is pitching that is stable. The market is FULL of outfielders who will be forced to take a pay cut once the market dries up (like Abreu last year). On the flipside, I thought AJax was vastly overrated, especially since the “pop” everyone said would come along never did. Kennedy can be a headcase, and throughout the playoffs, I playfully called our leftie Phil C(h)oke.
I liked the deal for all parties, but the most for the Tigers. The D-Backs confused me the most here. Why move such a powerful pitcher with bright upside for Edwin Jackson? Jackson has looked amazing at times, but he has yet to be anything but consistent.