If Dave Dombrowski wanted to see what kind of interest he could draw for Curtis Granderson this week, he most certainly accomplished that objective. He may have opened a floodgate worth of interest.
Add the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to the list of teams that would like a shot at Granderson this offseason. According to Newsday's Ken Davidoff, the Angels and Tigers have had discussions about a possible deal. Davidoff also cites a friend of Granderson's, who said he'd love to play for the Yankees. (Here's a link to the article, but Newsday keeps its content behind a paywall now. I bet Davidoff is thrilled.)
If the Angels were somehow able to get Granderson, he'd likely defer centerfield to Torii Hunter and play in left. Grandy has mentioned in the past how much he enjoys hitting at Angel Stadium. And the numbers back him up. In 21 games at Anaheim, he's batted .353/.415/.718, with eight homers and 12 RBIs.
And if Granderson isn't really an everyday player, as Keith Law said on ESPN.com, because of how badly he hits left-handed pitching (.183/.245/.239), the Angels have Juan Rivera on hand to platoon with him.
But in Tiger Town, we don't really want to hear about why Granderson is so appealing to other teams, do we?
Having said that, what could be going through Dombrowski's mind as his GM counterparts seemingly line up to make offers for the Tigers centerfielder? Is he thinking about how much Grandy might be able to yield in a trade? Or is he interpreting that interest as affirmation that Granderson is the type of player that the Tigers should keep around?
Everyone loves Curtis, it seems. This winter, he could be the belle of the ball, trade-wise.
Both of Grandy's hometown teams would love to have him. The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers says the Cubs "must do everything possible to get" Granderson. ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine says he'd be a good fit for the White Sox, too. But really, what are the chances the Tigers would trade him within the division?
If Granderson could hit 30 home runs (the fourth-most by a left-handed hitter in the AL this season) playing at Comerica Park, Joel Sherman wonders, how many would he hit with Yankee Stadium as his home ballpark?
Also, with the Yankees' seemingly limitless payroll, would trading Granderson provide an opportunity for the Tigers to piggyback one of their bad contracts onto a deal? If the Yankees took on Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, or Nate Robertson, however, they wouldn't be getting as much back, in terms of prospects. What would be more important, at this point?
(Thanks to peazgrl for posting this in the FanShots.)
Buster Olney adds the Red Sox, Mets, and Orioles to the list of possible suitors for Granderson. But could his bat splits against lefties affect what the Tigers could get for him?
UPDATE: MLB.com's Lyle Spencer thinks Edwin Jackson is a more likely trade target for the Angels, if they end up losing John Lackey through free agency.