The Pirates and veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal are in settlement on a one-year contract, a supply advised MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. The membership has not confirmed.
Grandal, 35, was probably the greatest backstops in baseball throughout the first 10 seasons of his profession — from 2012-21, he posted an .807 OPS with 172 residence runs on the plate, and his 74 Defensive Runs Saved behind the plate ranked behind solely Buster Posey, Yadier Molina and Roberto Pérez amongst all MLB catchers.
Over the previous two seasons, nonetheless, Grandal’s efficiency each on the plate and behind it declined considerably. From 2022-23, he hit .219/.305/.306 with 13 homers over 781 plate appearances, and he had -16 DRS over that interval.
The Pirates’ catching corps featured Endy Rodríguez (23 years previous), Jason Delay (28) and 2021 first general Draft decide Henry Davis (24). With Rodríguez out for the 2024 marketing campaign following Tommy John surgical procedure, the catching depth was thinner and remained comparatively inexperienced.
Grandal, regardless of his struggles the previous couple of seasons, offers a veteran presence on the place, and the Bucs will hope a change of surroundings helps him bounce again when it comes to his manufacturing.
