Granderson Considering Return, Mulls Yankees' Qualifying Offer
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Grandyman can, but will he?
Speaking on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Tuesday, free agent outfielder Curtis Granderson said he is considering the Yankees' $14.1 million qualifying offer, but plans to play the field first before making any decision.
"Well, it's definitely something you've got to think about and I appreciate the Yankees extending that offer to me," Granderson said. "You definitely got to continue to weigh all your options to see what's the best fit for you. ... You know, there are 29 other ball clubs out there and we're now at a point where every team has the chance to be a contender here in the near future."
The Yankees handed out qualifying offers to Granderson, second baseman Robinson Cano and right-hander Hiroki Kuroda on Monday. Cano is expected to reject the offer and continue to shop himself as the biggest name on the market. Kuroda has hinted that he may retire or move back to play in Japan, though he has stated he prefers to go one year at a time on contracts this late in his career.
Granderson is coming off a brutal season that featured a pair of hand injuries that forced him to miss 101 games. When he returned he batted .229 with 7 home runs and 15 RBIs, this coming off back-to-back 40-plus homer, 100-plus RBI seasons with the Yankees.
The 32-year-old outfielder said the Yankees bringing back manager Joe Girardi is a major reason why he, too, could return.
"It is," Granderson said. "I enjoyed my time with him for four years. He and I have actually got a Chicago connection, him going to Northwestern, me going to the University of Illinois-Chicago. So we always talk some things about that. And then just being in the clubhouse with him. He knows the game. The way he handles the team is great.
"He makes sure he gets all his players prepared so he doesn't have to be always in your face because he knows you've done the work and his coaching staff has done a great job of getting you ready to play for the game. So once they locked that up for another four years that was a great sign and is definitely something to consider moving forward."
Speaking of Chicago, there's been speculation that one -- or both -- of that city's teams could be interested in giving Granderson a multi-year deal. However he said he's not getting ahead of himself.
"I'm excited that there is interest and there's buzz and people are willing and excited to see what I'm going to do. But the process is here, it's underway, and just excited to see how it is all going to happen," Granderson said. "I've enjoyed my time with New York and we've got to see what's going to happen there first, but I'm open for everything. Let's just see how it is all going to end up happening and see what happens with the Yankees first."
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