ORLANDO, Fla. — Curtis Granderson likely bid farewell to the Yankees (for now, at least) when he rejected the team’s one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer on Monday. Granderson joined fellow Yankees free agents Robinson Cano and Hiroki Kuroda, as well as 10 other free agents, in remaining unemployed.
The Mets are interested in Granderson and plan to speak shortly with his agent, Matt Brown. Though the Yankees won’t altogether rule out bringing back Granderson to play right field, it’s clear they’re going to investigate other options on the free-agent market, such as Carlos Beltran and Shin-soo Choo.
“No surprises,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the general managers’ meetings. “When we made the qualifying offers, we didn’t expect anyone to accept. We would have been happy if any of them did. … I have interest, clearly, in re-signing any of them.”
That interest isn’t as intense on all fronts, however. Though the Yankees badly want to retain Cano and also would love to re-sign Kuroda on a one-year deal — “The only information I’ve gotten is he hasn’t made any decisions,” Cashman said of the right-hander — they’re less passionate about getting Granderson back in a Yankees uniform.
Granderson, coming off a bizarre season in which two freak plays resulted in two broken bones — which in turn led to him playing in just 61 games — is said by friends to be intrigued by playing in his hometown of Chicago. The White Sox definitely have interest, while the Cubs’ position on Granderson isn’t as apparent. If he wants to stay in New York, where he always has seemed comfortable, then the Mets are sure to be involved.
The Yankees have four veteran outfielders under control: Brett Gardner, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells. Ichiro and Wells were terrible in 2013, however, and Wells costs the Yankees nothing on the luxury-tax meter thanks to the specifics of the trade the Yankees made with the Angels to acquire Wells. So the Yankees surely won’t stand pat in the outfield.
“I think I’m actively looking to improve all aspects of the club,” Cashman said. “Do we have outfielders that we’re ready to start the season with? Yes. But if I can improve upon that, all the better. Same with the infield.”
Cashman noted he has uncertainty at second base, where Cano is a free agent; at shortstop, where Derek Jeter is returning from a broken left ankle that cost him the majority of the 2013 season; and at third base, where Alex Rodriguez is appealing a 211-game suspension. The Yankees also would like to add a veteran catcher, with Brian McCann the top player on that market.
Beltran, 36, has wanted to sign with the Yankees previously as a free agent, only to be rebuffed. The Yankees figure to be wary of committing too many years to the switch-hitter, given his advancing age and previous injury problems, although the Yankees should have at-bats at designated hitter they could give to the former Met.
Choo, 31, would give the Yankees a great on-base presence whose lefty bat seems to be a great fit at Yankee Stadium. If there are concerns about Choo’s fit, they would start with his lack of big-market experience.
In other Yankees news, the Diamondbacks have expressed informal interest in hiring longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey as their pitching coach. Arizona has yet to ask for permission, but the Yankees would grant it, because it would represent a promotion for Harkey, who is manager Joe Girardi’s best friend on the coaching staff. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported of Arizona’s interest. Furthermore, Arizona would like to speak with Scott Aldred, the pitching coach for the Yankees’ Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate, about its bullpen coach opening.
Mike Puma and Joel Sherman contributed to this report.