Tigers lock up outfielder Granderson with five-year, $30.25M deal

ESPN.com news services
Updated: February 4, 2008, 1:35 PM ET

DETROIT -- Outfielder Curtis Granderson and the Detroit Tigers agreed Monday to a five-year contract that includes a club option for 2013.

The deal is worth $30.25 million, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The contract covers Granderson's arbitration-eligible seasons and buys out one season of free agency.

Granderson had a breakout season last year, hitting .302 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs along with 38 doubles, 23 triples and 26 stolen bases.

"We are excited to have Curtis signed to a long-term contract with the Tigers organization," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said. "Curtis is one of the best young players in the game and a quality individual that represents the Tigers well both on and off the field."

Last season, the 26-year-old Granderson joined Jimmy Rollins, Willie Mays and Frank "Wildfire" Schulte as the only players in major league history with 20 stolen bases, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 doubles in a single season.

He doesn't seem like the type of guy that as soon as he gets paid, he coasts.

Right?

I hope...

Unless I am missing something, this seems like a great deal to me.

6 mil a year for an outfielder??? is that about right?

Illitch is starting to handle the Tigers the way he does the Wings...locking up solid players.

I guess he'd be making 15 mil if he played for the Yankees.

Unless I am missing something, this seems like a great deal to me.

I agree. I'm just being a negative nancy. It's my style.

It's a good deal, but you have to take arbitration into consideration. He wouldn't have been making 6 per each of the next couple years, then who knows what happens. It's about security for him. But, if things go as planned, yes, it's a steal considering the deal Sizemore got from CLE.

23.45 million is what I found for what Grady is making. What am I missing?

Matsui making 20 million over 3 years?

whatever...its definately up from the 500k he was making. :)

This makes Z a happy man!

Solid move. It's no secret Grandy was way underpaid. He earned every penny of this deal, now I hope he doesn't lay back as if he has nothing to prove now that he's been paid (the Brandon Inge/Chris Wilcox approach), but I doubt that will be the case...

Granderson has the persona, talent, and capability to be the icon of Detroit professional sports...and it's going to be a pleasure watching him continue developing...

The reason we can get him at that price is because several years the pay is higher than what he would have gotten in arbitration, then when the deal gets bigger it's a bargain. Great move though, any way you look at it.

He doesn't have to look over his shoulder at Cameron Maybin anymore either. The future of Tigers centerfield is fully entrenched now.

you dont even have to look at the money, hate to use cliches, but 5 more years of grandersn makes it agreat deal.

imo, he was an mvp nomination type player (not mvp, but deserved concideration for top 5).

seems like he's got great tools with a great work ethic.

leyland has compared him to barry bonds, in a good way.

i wasnt worried about him leaving, but this is still excellent news.

He probably would have gotten serious MVP consideraton (not to actually get it, but to get mentioned for it) if he cut down the strikeouts and if we made the playoffs.

Granderson finished 10th in AL MVP voting this past year - AHEAD of players like Jeter, Sabathia, Hunter, Abreu, Beckett, etc. He had one 4th place vote as his highest vote.
Now look at the NL MVP. Jimmy Rollins had an extra 104 AB's and yet many of their numbers were comparable. Granderson had 3 more triples and 3 more walks, plus .006 higher BA. Rollins had Granderson by 17 runs, 7 HR, 20 RBI and 15 SB. They each had 38 doubles. Give Curtis and extra 100 AB's and he would have been on pace to come even closer to some of those other numbers, possibly pass more. Now put him in THIS YEAR's lineup. Look out.

He cut down his strikeout total by 33 from last season. Yes, continued improvement in that area would be nice. But his glaring weakness is facing lefties. Last season he had 119 AB's against lefties. The results? 19 hits compared to 40 strikeouts. Yep, a .160 batting average.

If he can figure out how to hit lefties at a .250 clip, while continuing the same performance - if not better - against righties, he WILL be the premier centerfielder in the league.

Also, I doubt he'll be stranded on third as many times this year as he was last year.

Jethro, I didn't know that. I liked the J-Roll comparison.

But yeah, a huge steal. I lovelovelove Curtis, and I agree with Ledezma that he could soon be the face of Detroit sports.

The face of Detroit sports?

I mean, I like him a lot, but he's really going to be the biggest guy in Detroit sports in your guys' opinions?

I'd like to see a deal for another player that makes him a steal.

I'm not saying its a bad deal at all, I'd just like something to compare it too.

In the summer of 2005, when Jimmy Rollins was 26 (age Granderson is now), he signed a 5 year - $40 million deal. He had played 4.5 years at that point, while Granderson has only played 2.5. However, Rollins wasn't playing up to the level at that time that Granderson currently is. When comparing their 2007 stats Granderson was close behind, but when comparing Granderson's 2007 to the 2004 Rollins had or the 2005 he was in the middle of, advantage Granderson.

Now you can compare NL vs AL and CF vs SS, but I would say getting the same length of contract for 25% less on fairly comparable players qualifies it as a steal.

<--stubborn

Thanks Jeth, but I'm sold that this deal should be considered a steal yet. I have to dig a lil further when I have the time.

I think it's a great deal, but you can't really compare it to that Rollins deal like that. The important years to look at are the ones where he would be a free agent going for market value. The Rollins deal bought out three of those years while Curtis' buys out only one.

Again, i still think it's a great deal, just think that's an important point to note.

Maybe steal just isn't the best word choice for a couple of you. How about a lucky discount?


The face of Detroit sports?

I mean, I like him a lot, but he's really going to be the biggest guy in Detroit sports in your guys' opinions?
Yeah, since Stevie retired, no one really took that "face". Right now the Tigers are the most important team around, so their most popular player will likely represent the city. ESPN conducted a poll over the summer to see which player/manager/mascot/etc. was the "face of his franchise", and everyone agreed next year Curtis will come to mind when someone thinks of the Detroit Tigers.

I can't argue with that at all. With how great his personality is, how open he is with the media, all he does with and for the city, and the fact that no one else really comes close, Curtis Granderson will be the icon of Detroit sports.

Lidstrom/Datsyuk/Hank should be the faces of Detroit sports. Stupid hockey getting no attention.

I can't argue with that at all. With how great his personality is, how open he is with the media, all he does with and for the city, and the fact that no one else really comes close, Curtis Granderson will be the icon of Detroit sports.

I'd like to see him become that myself. It's just a lot to expect from a 14 year old kid right now.

This whole "face" of Detroit sports thing - I think Chauncey, Rip, Sheed certainly make up part of the face, I think Matt Millen is the face of the Lions in an obviously negative way, as for the Tigers - it was Pudge, now it's probably Magglio. Hard to judge whether it will continue to be Maggs, or if Verlander or Cabrera could become the face. Granderson has the potential, especially with the off-the-field things he's doing, but we'll see.
As for the Wings - I think Chelios, Lidstrom and Zetterberg are the ones. Datsyuk is extremely talented but his face sin't always in everyones grill like the others.

If you had to pick one guy from the wings right now, it'd be Lidstrom. But give it another season or two and it'll be Hank #1. Chelios is definitely in there just because he's been around so long, he's a stand-up guy, and he owns a bar in town.

Joey Harrington. End of discussion.

He's been gone for as long as he has, and he's still the #2 face of the franchise behind Moron Millen.