With Yoenis Cespedes back in the fold, the Mets have to do what they probably would have had to do even if Cespedes signed elsewhere in free agency.  The Mets are going to have to trade an outfielder.

Because Michael Conforto still has a ton of potential, and because of how cheap he is, the Mets are not trading him.  Due to the lack of center field options, the Mets are not going to be terribly inclined to trade away Juan Lagares and his Gold Glove any time soon.  Therefore, the Mets are left with the option of trading away either Curtis Granderson or Jay Bruce. 

Keep in mind that even without Cespedes back, the Mets still have a lot of holes.  Presumably, they need a backup catcher, bullpen help, a veteran starter, and maybe even another bat on the bench.  By trading Granderson or Bruce, you may be able to sure up one or more of those holes.  Based upon the reports that are out there, it seems more teams are interested in Granderson meaning that you can possibly get more in a return for Granderson.

Normally, you would trade away the player that would get you the best return.  However, these are not normal circumstances.  This is a team that has World Series aspirations.  And with the Mets finding themselves in that situation, it is absolutely imperative they keep Granderson over Bruce for a myriad of reasons.

For starters, Granderson is just the better player.  Despite Granderson struggling most of the year, he managed to hit .237/.335/.464 with 30 homers and 59 RBI.  For his part, Bruce was having a career year before joining the Mets.  Upon coming to the Mets, Bruce struggled, and his final line was .250/.309/.506 with 33 homers and 99 RBI.  Before pointing to RBI, remember Granderson spent much of the year hitting leadoff and Bruce spent most of his year hitting behind OBP machine Joey Votto.  With that Bruce had more opportunities to drive runners in.  When eliminating RBI from the equation, you see Granderson hits just as many homers while getting on base more frequently.  Simply put, he’s the better hitter.

Granderson is also more versatile in the lineup.  For most of Granderson’s career, he has been an effective leadoff hitter, and he was the leadoff hitter for a 2015 Mets team that won the National League pennant.  As we saw last year, Granderson can also hit cleanup.  Having a player with that type of comfort in completely different spots in the lineup is rare.  Interestingly enough, the Mets may need a player like that in their lineup.  Knowing how Terry Collins operates, Jose Reyes is going to leadoff on the days he does play in place of David Wright.  However, on the days Reyes does not play, the Mets best choice to lead off is going to be Granderson.  In fact, given the fact Granderson has has a .342 OBP the past three years as compared to Reyes’ .321 OBP during that same stretch, Granderson should really be the Mets leadoff hitter next year.

Additionally, Granderson gives the Mets more defensive versatility.  Heading into the 2017 season, the Mets have no real clear-cut choice for an everyday center fielder.  Sure, Lagares will likely play against left-handed pitching.  However, when there is a right-handed pitcher on the mound, the choice boils down to Granderson and Conforto.  Last season, Collins proved [that he hates Conforto] he is more comfortable with Granderson in center.  With that being the case, Granderson’s presence on the team would open more opportunities for Conforto to play everyday.  With Bruce, the Mets would be subject to Collins’ whims as to when to play young players, which based upon his history, he doesn’t play them.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Granderson is a leader in the clubhouse.  He is a veteran that has been a part of winning teams, and he is a player that seems generally beloved by his teammates.  He is also a good person that devotes a lot of time and energy to charity work.  Anytime you lose a person of this magnitude, your team is worse off for it.  This isn’t to say Bruce isn’t a good person.  In fact, there is evidence of Bruce doing copious amounts of charity work and helping people himself.  The difference between Granderson and Bruce is Granderson is a leader in the clubhouse, and Granderson has proved he can play in New York.

Ultimately, that’s why you keep Granderson.  You know he can help this team achieve its goal of winning a World Series.  He certainly will do more for the Mets in 2017 than Bruce or for whomever the Mets could acquire in a trade for either player.  With that being the case, the Mets have little choice but to bring back Granderson.