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Keep the Pitchers

Does Dr. D like the look of this plan?  Sure.  We all want to keep the prospects.  If you can upgrade the offense by enough this way -- free agency, or lesser trades, or evolution of the kids -- that's the preferred macro strategy with me.

What's good about the Granderson Plan, and all of its variations, such as the Choo plan, the Pence plan, and so forth?  Everything that we lined up in the previous article.  Granderson and Choo are better players than Nick Swisher is, and Pence may be as good.

There's a simple and obvious reason to go for Choo or Granderson instead of Stanton.  By the All-Star Break of 2014, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton are liable to be worth more than Stanton by themselves.  You avoid any risk of that occurring.

Of course, if you can acquire Stanton without shedding Taijuan, K-Pax or Zunino, then obviously the Straw That Stirs Maneuver rises to the top of the strategy list.

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Granderson's UPside

At ages 30 and 31, Granderson put together two consecutive 700-AB seasons with the following production.  That, gentlemen, is 1,400 consecutive at-bats during which he laid waste to enemy pitching -- in the harsh lights of Yankee Stadium.  

In other words, this production was not only unique among CF's, but it was diamond-hard production:

Here, let's compare those lines with the career numbers of a few other guys, per 162:

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Those are pretty much the five best center fielders of the last 30 years.  Granted, we're using career numbers, which include their decline years.  But still:  in 2010-11, Curtis Granderson was pretty much Ken Griffey Jr., minus 25 singles a year.

You don't have to pay for Griffey!  At $15M per season, you're just paying for a 3-WAR player.  Curtis Granderson ain't going to be paid for 40 home runs.  He's going to be paid for 25.  When you do pay him for 25, you've got the Griffey Scenario as a possibility, and it's all gravy.

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SOLVED the Platoon Problem

Over his career, Granderson has hit righties a lot better than he hits lefties.  His career SLG is .520 vs LHP, only .409 vs RHP.

But he solved this during his 2011-12 breakout -- he slugged .597 against lefties in 2011, .458 the next year.

In fact, this last year - his injury year - his power was MUCH higher against left hand pitching.

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Granderson used to have a skewed EYE, terrible against LHP's, okay against RHP's.  Now his EYE is the same either side.  Same BB's per K, whichever box he stands in.  In other words, the underlying control of the zone does --- > reinforce the observation that he has solved LHP's.

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How heavily do you weight this variable, when you're projecting his future?  It goes first, second, and third on the list.   The below three things are facts:

• Curtis Granderson did, in fact, eventually learn how to hit LHP's
• It was the cause of his breakout
• In 2014, he'll still know how to hit LHP's
• QED

Looking more and more like a no-brainer?  Hmmmm...

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