In a quiet offseason, The Toronto Blue Jays made a quiet addition this week to improve their outfield for the upcoming season. Toronto agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the 36-year-old outfielder, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the deal.
In Granderson, Toronto lands a veteran outfielder who should provide solid pop to its lineup. Last season, Granderson showed he can still get the ball out of the yard and before his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he posted a respectable on-base percentage.
Granderson spent 111 games with the New York Mets last season and performed fairly well given his age and playing time. In 395 plate appearances, Granderson hit 19 home runs, drove in 52 runs and posted a .344 wOBA with a 115 wRC+. If not for a down season by the Mets, Granderson's season at the age of 36 might have drawn even more praise and could have earned him a little more money had he remained.
Instead, the Mets shipped Granderson off to the Dodgers. In 36 games with Los Angeles, the 36-year-old received 132 at bats and finished with an ugly .161/.288/.366 slash line, .289 wOBA and 78 wRC+. While Granderson made it to the World Series with Los Angeles, it ended in a Game Seven loss and Granderson finished the postseason with just one hit in 15 plate appearances.
Granderson likely won't be experiencing the postseason with the Blue Jays, but Toronto provides him the opportunity to see significant playing time again. With half of his games set to play in the Rogers Centre and even more games in hitter-friendly parks like Camden Yards and Yankee Stadium, Granderson's chances of hitting 20-plus home runs in 2018 are legitimate.
For fantasy owners, it's important to recognize the cost the pop will come with. He is unlikely to crack anything higher than a .225/.340/.450 slash line next season and it will also come with plenty of strikeouts. But as a bench outfielder who is used for spot starts or is used in deep leagues, Granderson's move to Toronto helps him gain fantasy value for 2018.