Curtis Granderson Signs with the New York Mets; 4 Years/$60 Million

. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the New York Mets have agreed to a deal with outfielder Curtis Granderson for 4 years worth $60 million, pending a physical:

Just a short time after the Mariners inked Robinson Cano to a 10 year/$240 million deal, the Mets have made headlines of their own with this signing. Thankfully, the Mets didn’t break the bank with this signing as Seattle did, even in an offseason where everybody is getting overpaid. This contract, in terms of length and amount, is about the most I would’ve been comfortable with spending on Granderson.

Admittingly, I wasn’t interested in signing Curtis Granderson when the offseason began but with the lack of talent available and the Mets needing to make a major move, I think it’s a great signing. One of the reasons I was never high on Granderson is because he strikes out at an extremely high rate and doesn’t hit for average. However, with the lack of production from our outfield lately, especially when it comes to power, Granderson is a huge upgrade to anyone we put out there before him.

I’m not sure if Granderson will automatically get inserted into center over Juan Lagares but he is a substantially better defender than both Eric Young Jr. and Lucas Duda. In fact, I don’t see any reason to keep Eric Young Jr. on the roster considering he contributes nothing but his speed at this point.

His power numbers are certainly going to drop, as expected, as he leaves Yankee Stadium but that may actually help change his approach a bit and boost his batting average and OBP. Granderson will most likely bat behind David Wright in the lineup, creating more protection than Lucas Duda but it will also reflect on Lucas Duda as pitchers will probably rather pitch to him than Granderson.

The Mets are far from a finished product but the insertion of Granderson into the lineup is certainly a step in the right direction. He brings offensive production that our outfield hasn’t seen in a while not to mention his defensive abilities. He’ll certainly have an impact on the batters around him and moving to Citi Field could help his offense more than expected but the Mets still have some work to do. This signing could mean the end is near for either EY or Lucas Duda as we now have 5 outfielders. We also need to sure up our bullpen and find a shortstop. I’m hoping we can move Duda to first base and use Eric Young/Ike Davis as trade bait for a decent young shortstop, though unlikely.

By no means does this signing make us title contenders this season but in a weak division, the Mets are certainly getting better without having to spend a terrible amount of money. There is still work to be done but at least Sandy Alderson is finally showing fans that progress is being made. I had to keep this brief as I’m writing during a  tight window between class and work right now but if you’d like to discuss the move, leave a comment or follow me on Twitter.