Ex-White Sox Catcher Yasmani Grandal Signs with Pirates
Former Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal has a new home. The 35-year-old backstop has reportedly reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million plus performance incentives.
Grandal’s four-year tenure in Chicago didn’t exactly pan out the way the Sox had hoped. After inking the once-largest contract in White Sox history before the 2020 COVID-shortened season, Grandal helped lead the South Siders to
two consecutive playoff appearances. However, injuries began to pile up for the veteran catcher, limiting him to just 93 games in 2021 and 99 games in 2022.
Along with those injuries, Grandal’s performance began to wane. After posting 3.7 bWAR (a career-high) in 2021, the following two seasons were far less than ideal. In 2022, Grandal slashed .202/.301/.269 with only five home runs and seven doubles while posting a career-worst -1.4 bWAR. There was some improvement in 2023 but nowhere near enough to call it a complete rebound, as he slashed .234/.309/.339, eight homers, 14 doubles, and -0.7 bWAR.
Grandal now joins a Pirates squad that needed a veteran catching presence. Outside of the newly signed Grandal, the Pirates catching depth chart includes Ali Sanchez, Endy Rodriguez, and Jason Delay, who have a combined 521 MLB at-bats.
Should Grandal remain healthy through 2024, he figures to see a fair share of starts behind the plate. He could also spell Andrew McCutchen in the DH spot from time to time if his bat proves worthy enough.
