Curtis Granderson expects to become free agent

Curtis Granderson doesn't expect to sign an extension with the New York Yankees before the end of the 2013 season, meaning the center fielder will likely become a free agent, reports Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

The Yankees tend not to extend their potential free agents before their contracts are up, a strategy they briefly considered changing for stars Robinson Cano and Granderson. But as Davidoff writes, Cano's agent Scott Boras wasn't interested, and Granderson had a poor finish to the 2012 campaign that turned the Yankees off to the idea. As such, Granderson understands that he'll probably be on the market after this season.

"Especially with this team being the way it has been, historically, the talks of extending guys out before the end typically isn’t their M.O.," the outfielder said yesterday of the Yankees, after visiting P.S. 39 in Staten Island to help students affected by Superstorm Sandy. "If it happens, we’ll address it as that time comes. But I’m just excited to play this year, and then, once we get to the end, we’ll take it at that point."

The 31-year-old is slated to earn $10 million this upcoming season. Granderson's three years in New York have had their ups and downs. He's emerged as one of the league's elite power hitters, hitting 41 and 43 homers in back-to-back years, but his batting average dropped 30 points to a career low .232 in 2012. He finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2011, but was a detriment to his team in 2012 come playoff time, hitting only .100 in 30 at-bats, actually going o-fer the ALCS with seven strikeouts in 11 at-bats.