Los Angeles Dodgers get even better with Curtis Granderson
By Jason Evans
The Los Angeles Dodgers upgraded their outfield with the acquisition of Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets.
On the same night the Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back Adrian Gonzalez, there was no way they could get any better right? Wrong. They somehow managed to make their lineup more dangerous by acquiring outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets last night.
Granderson, 36, is in the last year of his deal and will be a free agent at season’s end. In what could be his final season, he has a chance to go out on top.
Granderson had a miserable April, hitting .128/.174/.221 during the month. His average for the season is just .230 because of his rough start. Since? Granderson has hit .266/.384/.570. In fact, since that point he has the 10th highest WRC+ in all of baseball, tied with Kris Bryant, Eric Hosmer and his new teammate, Cody Bellinger.
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The person on the Los Angeles Dodgers who’s hurt the most by this trade is Joc Pederson. Pederson hit .308 in June and .264 in July with a .878 OPS. August has been a much different story, as he has hit just .054 for the month. In comparison, Granderson this month has hit .256 with an OPS of 1.081. With Granderson coming aboard, his playing time could be significantly cut.
For the Mets, this opens the door to see Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo for the rest of the season in center with Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes flanking them. The Mets gave Lagares a contract extension after his Gold Glove season of 2014, but the following seasons have seen a lack of production and a ton of time on the DL.
Lagares has $15.5 million due to him over the next two seasons combined. The Mets need to see if he can be an everyday centerfielder or if they have to go shopping in the offseason for an outfielder.
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For the Los Angeles Dodgers, the rich get richer as they look to win their first World Series since 1988. For the Mets, more time for younger players in a lost season.