This year’s free-agent market was set to be rich with center field options, but the supply is running low and the demand is still high. Clubs still in need of a new centerfielder may be forced to overspend.
Or they could just pick up the phone and give the New York Yankees a call about Curtis Granderson. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Granderson is available:
NYY have been open to talks about Curtis Granderson. If they move his $15m salary, it would provide more flexibility to do other things.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 4, 2012
With a $15 million salary headed his way in 2013, Granderson isn’t exactly cheap. However, there’s not much risk in a one-year commitment, and $15 million will be a fair price to pay for Granderson if he hits his usual 40 home runs in 2013.
Teams with some payroll flexibility and a need for a centerfielder should have Granderson on their radar. So should teams that just need power, period.
By process of elimination, that means the following five teams should consider giving the Yankees a call.
Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Salary information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.