The Mets are reportedly searching for a platoon partner for Juan Lagares in center field, but they are not necessarily looking for a new leadoff hitter, assistant GM John Ricco said earlier this month at the GM Meetings.
“If we end up getting something like that, and it allows us to reshuffle things and maybe we think we’re better with Curtis Granderson further down the lineup, we’d be open to it. I think he’s shown over his career he can handle that, but that’s not something that’s a goal.”
Granderson hit just .259, but had a .364 OBP and 26 home runs and 98 RBI this past season, while primarily batting lead off.
“To this point, we’re pretty happy with him in that role,” Ricco said about Granderson hitting first each game. “He gives us some power. He gives us some on-base, he gives you a little bit of speed. And, he starts off the game with the approach we’d like to see.”
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Granderson had a fantastic year out of the leadoff spot in 2015 and I wouldn’t be in any rush to move him down in the order. His patient approach paid major dividends and his power had the ability to change the tenor of the game from the very first pitch. He was one of the most successful leadoff hitters all season and – while it’s true that his bat could potentially lengthen the lineup – replacing him in a spot where he thrived should not be a primary goal for the offseason.
That said, if a player who is a good fit in other ways, such as Denard Span (who can play center field and platoon with Lagares), also happens to profile as a leadoff hitter, moving Granderson down could be the better option. A lineup starting off with Span, with Granderson batting behind him, would make for a lot of run-creating possibilities and offers flexibility in case of injury. The key is that the team has to stop trying to fit a square peg, such as Lagares, into a round hole. If they find a rounder peg than Granderson, that’s great, but leadoff isn’t the gaping chasm it used to be and the Mets should have other priorities.
Matthew Cerrone
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Granderson led off an inning or game in 422 out of his 682 plate appearances, so he really was put in the position to set the tone a lot. It’s often said the leadoff hitter only hits leadoff once a game, but for Granderson that not true. He did it a lot. And, he did it well. I have zero problem with him batting leadoff, though Maggie’s lineup with him hitting second and Span hitting first is intriguing, especially if followed by Michael Conforto, David Wright and Lucas Duda. I’d love another bopper between Wright and Duda, by the way.
Frankly, I’m more concerned with the team’s general lack of speed, more so as it pertains to late in the season and in October when runs are more difficult to come by. I subscribe to the notion that stolen bases and bunting are overvalued, but only during 130 games every season. In those games when facing an ace, or when facing a handful of aces in a short postseason series, every at bat, every base, every out matters and speed and advancing runners is important.
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