Former Padres Catcher To Sign With Pittsburgh Pirates
Former San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal has agreed to a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2024 season. According to Jason Mackey of PG Sports Now, the deal is worth $2.5 million with incentives.
Grandal, who began his Major League career with the Padres from 2012-14, begins his tenure with his fifth MLB team. Grandal's time with the Padres was derailed by a 50-game suspension for high testosterone levels, and a knee injury that cut his 2013 season short. When available, Grandal was a strong batter for the Padres, hitting two home runs in his first career start.
After the 2014 season, Grandal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Grandal earned his first All-Star nod during his first season with the Dodgers in 2015.
He was with the Dodgers through the 2018 season, before spending a season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019, when he made his second All-Star team.
He then joined the Chicago White Sox after the 2019 season on a four-year, $73 million contract, where he spent the last four seasons. Grandal is coming off a season in which he hit .234 while posting eight home runs, 33 RBIs and a .647 OPS.
Grandal joins a Pirates squad that finished fourth in the NL Central with a 76-86 record last year. The 35-year-old veteran looks to add depth to a Pirates squad that hopes to improve off an underwhelming 2023 campaign.
