I think we have “analyzed to death” the Curtis Granderson deal, but a few more interesting notes I thought were worth mentioning.

The Passion to Improve

First (hat tip to IATM for this find) Lynn Henning of the Detroit News talks about how much the time spent off the field has impacted Curtis Granderson on it. Give credit to Henning for putting out a well written piece about a delicate topic. No one wants to beat up Granderson about all the charity work he does. If more ballplayers were like him the game would be in a far better place. What is fair is questioning the amount of time his charitable endeavors takes away from improving as a ballplayer. We heard earlier today how Kevin Long can be a huge asset to the newest Yankee, but as Henning points out, you need to have the “passion” to want to improve. It appears Granderson has the ability to get to the next level, but might be stretched too thin. This is not going to get easier playing in the media bubble of New York. If anything MLB will want to market Granderson even more. Sometimes the hardest thing is to say no, especially when it appears the antithesis of who Curtis Granderson is as a person.

Unreasonable Expectations

The lack of African American participation in baseball is something we have talked about on NYBD Radio. With Granderson playing for the biggest market and most visible team in sports many will look to him to change that. Over at Walkoff Walk Rob Iracane talks about how Granderson can help turnaround the lack of African American participation in baseball. It’s way to unrealistic to put additional pressure on Granderson and expect him to lead a change in the social dynamics of the game. Let him just be Curtis Granderson and I am sure the rest will follow.

What Would You Say About This Player?

PA: 199

HR: 2

RBI: 9

BA: .183

OPS: .484

I am sure you know that is Curtis Granderson versus left handed pitching in 2009. That is significantly lower than Alex Cora, who Mets fans have been complaining about as the backup middle infielder. As Howard pointed out on last night’s show 30% of the time you have a virtual automatic out in your lineup. It makes it easy for opposing managers to pitch to him in big spots. Hopefully, the impact of Long is not understated and he can help Granderson make some adjustments.

The Comerica Effect

Granderson for his career has an OPS of about .780 at home and .860 on the road. Last year he was under .700 at Comerica Park. The friendly “confines” that Yankee Stadium provides left handed hitters certainly will help Granderson.

Final Analysis

After much waffling back and forth the deal is not bad at all. I would have liked to get a better player than Granderson, but that obviously would have cost more than Kennedy, Coke, and Austin Jackson. I think Granderson is a nice role player for this team with the potential, if he makes the necessary improvements against lefties, to be a star. When he is on Granderson is everything that Mets fans wish Jose Reyes could be both on and off the field.

Tags: Comerica Park, Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers, Kevin Long, New York Yankees