Blue Jays sign Curtis Granderson to a one year deal

The Blue Jays have signed outfielder Curtis Granderson to a one year contract worth $5 million, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal also includes incentives, and is pending a physical.

Granderson, who will turn 37 in March, posted a .212/.323/.452 batting line last season across 147 games. Despite his low batting average, his power and ability to draw plenty of walks made him a slightly above average performer at the plate. He looks like a candidate to be platooned, as he fared much better against right-handed pitching last season.

Granderson split time between all three outfield positions in 2017, but he figures to spend nearly all of his time in a corner for the Blue Jays. Given his age, playing him up the middle of the diamond is a bit of a stretch at this point, though he could still provide slightly above average defence in a corner.

His bat couldn’t be a better fit for the Rogers Centre, as he has been a near lock to hit 20 home runs per season throughout his career. He also won the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award for his charitable and community work, so the Blue Jays seem to terrific individual to add to their locker room.

Granderson’s value fell towards the end of last season, as he struggled in 36 games after being traded from the New York Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also dreadful at the plate in the playoffs, notching just one hit in 15 plate appearances, and striking out eight times in the process. The Blue Jays will hope to land the Mets’ version of Granderson, who launched 19 home runs in just 395 plate appearances before the trade.

He may see some playing time against left-handed pitching, but I expect the Jays to give him plenty of days off when a southpaw is on the mound. Steve Pearce would be a natural platoon partner given his terrific career numbers against left-handed pitchers, and Teoscar Hernandez also brings a right-handed bat to the table.