At some point this winter, the Mets must depart their comfort zone. They must forge ahead, sticker shock be damned, and come to terms with the risks attached to their line of work.
And if they’re going to do so, giving their team a puncher’s chance and their remaining fans reason for hope, they could go in considerably worse directions than taking such a leap with Curtis Granderson.
On Tuesday, the free-agent outfielder acknowledged his meeting with Mets general manager Sandy Alderson Sunday in San Diego. On a conference call to announce Tony Clark as the new executive director of the Players Association, Granderson said: “We had a nice meal. It was great. Enjoyed some salmon, but other than that, it was kind of what you could expect. Conversation, Q&A, and continue to drive definitely forward.
“The free-agent market has been enjoyable. I’m looking forward to it and excited about what the next step is in my baseball career.’’
Sure, you’d be excited, too, if you were him. The industry is flush with cash (that statement should be the “F7” key on every baseball reporter’s laptop), and Granderson carries a premium skill, power, that’s respected even after two freakish injuries rendered his 2013 season virtually useless.
So you can understand why he’s looking for a four-year contract, as The Post’s Mike Puma reported. No harm in asking.
The Yankees, already long shots for Granderson before Tuesday, are far more so now, after agreeing to terms with free agent center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. The rest of Granderson’s market isn’t clear. Of his hometown Chicago clubs, the Cubs appear a better fit than the White Sox.
Granderson is on record that he prefers a winning team. Therefore, the Mets, who are tied with the Astros for the longest current streak of sub-.500 seasons (five), don’t stand out as an attractive suitor. The premium on their side comes in having to pay extra to convince players of their seriousness in finally contending.
With Matt Harvey out for 2014, but with the Mets having obtained the financial flexibility for which they have long yearned (thanks to the expiration of Jason Bay’s and Johan Santana’s contracts), Alderson has to go for it while acknowledging his team’s chances at a miracle playoff run already have been compromised. This mission is off to a shaky start.
The Mets’ top choice at shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, took a four-year, $53 million deal from the Cardinals. A buy-low option for their starting rotation, former Yankee Phil Hughes, was bought high by the Twins, at $24 million over three years. All the Mets have to show to date is outfielder Chris Young, who agreed to a one-year, $7.25 million contract following a terrible 2013 with Oakland.
Enter Granderson, who turns 33 in March and endured a miserable platform year. He isn’t exactly a prime candidate for a four-year contract — $13 million-$15 million per season sounds about right — and the Mets understandably aren’t excited about such a prospect. Hey, maybe the Mets could find common ground on a three-year deal; Puma reports an offer could come this week.
However, the Mets need to look in an undistorted mirror and appreciate they don’t exactly represent a hot spot for free agents. Especially for a player who’d be switching from a perennial contender to not one of those and from a hitter-friendly ballpark — ideal for his swing — to a pitcher-favorable stadium that has frustrated more than one power hitter.
So you overpay for Granderson, because he possesses enough attributes you value: His athleticism should make him viable in the National League for the duration of his contract. His durability prior to 2013 provides hope that he can be closer to his 2011 and 2012 self (84 total homers) absent more fluky injuries. His intelligence and self-awareness should help him tweak his swing to make it more Citi Field-friendly.
Moreover, he can complement David Wright as a positive clubhouse guy who can handle the media scrutiny, interact favorably with fans and sponsors and perform an impressive amount of charity work.
A friend of Granderson’s told me Tuesday he’d be “shocked” if Granderson signed with the Mets. OK. No high-profile free agent’s first choice is going to the Mets, probably.
Yet the Mets need high-profile players, need to advance from their austerity era. If large free-agent signings are born of desperation, the Mets’ acquisition of Granderson would rank as a good, desperate acquisition.