NEWSLETTER
At least I hope so. An anonymous NL executive has said that he was informed Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson is being shopped this Winter. Could there be a more perfect fit for the Cubs in center field (assuming Bradley is dumped, and Fukudome slides over to right)?
As a left-handed hitter, he is a very nice fit for the Cubs. He has a very reasonable contract that, not including a 2013 option, is $23.75 million for three years. And as an intelligent, uncannily cool presence, he’s the next best thing to Derek Jeter.
With Detroit’s economy badly in the tank, Dombrowski is charged with downsizing a payroll that was sitting at about $120 million at the end of last season, when the Tigers lost four of their last five to miss the playoffs. In addition to Granderson, he also is reported to be shopping 13-game winner Edwin Jackson, and is seeking inexpensive veterans and prospects in return.
Hendry has been loath to trade prospects from his farm system, which rarely has generated a surplus of demand. But this is the time to play those cards.
If Dombrowski wants to talk about Carlos Marmol, potentially a closer for the next two or three years, and Starlin Castro, who could have a Shawon Dunston impact and tenure at shortstop, Hendry should be willing. Granderson — at this point in his career — is worth paying a huge price to get. chicagotribune.com.
I have to agree. Granderson is exactly what the Cubs should be looking for. Yes, he had a down year last year (a year in which he still managed 30 homers and a 100 OPS+), but generally, he’s been consistently good. The only rub is that he should be limited to the lefty portion of a lefty/righty platoon. In his career, he absolutely destroys righty pitching, but hits like Jose Macias-lite against lefties.
Giving up Marmol would be a stretch, but Castro should not be. Yes, Starlin Castro looked like a stud this year. But he’s just 19, and hasn’t played above AA ball. When you have the opportunity to use a studly prospect like that to net a studly Major League player at a position of need, you do it. That is not to say I’m not optimistic about Castro’s future – I’m just making a general statement about prospects, particularly lower-level prospects.
