If all you meant by “underperformers” were guys who have OPS below career averages, isn’t half of baseball underperformering at any given time? Albert Pujols has been well below his career line for two straight years. Is he an underperformer? Was Derek Jeter an underperformer in 2002 and 2004 when he hit below .300 in 2 of 3 years?

Also, the breakdown of what players you think are gritty “overachievers” and what players are talented “underperformers” in [2] is probably conveying a message you did not intend to send, but I do think we should reject that kind of thinking out of hand.

[8] Who said anything about CF? We can’t put the players on the field, but there’s no way the Yankees are finding 40 homers and 80 walks on the free agent market this winter for 1 year and 15 million bucks. Why on earth would they throw that away? If Girardi wises up and puts Granderson in left, all the better.

Granderson’s floor for the next few years is a big home run hitter, big strike out guy. If he can add doubles and triples into the equation like in 2011, he’s fantastic. But in 2 of 3 years here, he didn’t do it. Give him another year, and if all he can do is homer, walk and whiff, that’s enough evidence to heavily consider other options.

The question is, after 2013, do you give him the 5 year contract he will probably command? Also, I think his D is below average now, so what happens as he ages and loses some speed and bat speed?

Of 30 teams, he is 15th is WAR (CF’ers) (although 10th-20th are realatively bunched up). Coincidentally, tied with B.J.Upton. He seems like a lot better then middle of the pack, but his D is worse then it looks, due to a very poor first step.

I think he is VERY good player, and I’m happy to have him.
The question is do you commit to 5 years at $15m+/yr?

$15 million for a guy whose downside is 40 homers and 80 walks? And whose upside is a top-5 MVP finish? They cannot do better than that.

Hard choices loom about the OF w/ Swisher and Granderson and OPP, but it would take an extraordinary set of circumstnaces to make it a good plan to ditch Granderson before the end of 2013.

Who would you want to replace him? I hope not Hamilton. Torii will be a free agent, but probably too old for the purpose; maybe Angel Pagan? Michael Bourn? BJ Upton? I think I’d stick with Curtis.

There is no replacing talent. Some guys are just born with it.
But I think we underestimate work ethic, approach and mental makeup.

I think there are guys who overachieve, like Andy, Jeter, Mighty Mouse (Pedroia) and even Gritner, and guys who underperform (relative for their talent)…. like Cano and Granderson. We might throw BJ Upton in there too.

I think Nunez COULD be an above average SS because of his bat. His arm is quite strong. But something above his shoulders is throwing off his game. Can we give Cano a longterm contract? I fear that when his talent fades a bit due to age, he could be a real stinker. Same with Grandy.

When Granderson is hot, he is awesome. But his refused to hit the ball where it’s pitched, and cut down on his swing in certain situations, lays him prone to prelonged slumps. Again, as he ages, he might be scary.

There is only so much a player can do to get more from his physical talent. But many players have prolonged their career by adjusting their approach. I don’t think we give enough credit to playing ‘smart’…, to doing what must be done instead of just doing what you ‘normally do’.

I think we may have to trade Grandy. I think he still has some good years ahead of him, but maybe it’s best to ‘sell high’.

I don’t know if I would give Cano more then something like 4/$72m.