Veteran Catcher Yasmani Grandal Decides to Remain in Boston Red Sox Organization

Rather than exercising his opt-out clause, Yasmani Grandal will hang around with Triple-A Worcester and keep vying for a call-up from the Boston Red Sox.

St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (6) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a game-tying solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Yasmani Grandal has been a member of the Boston Red Sox organization for all of three weeks, but he was still left with a major decision regarding his future on Thursday.

The veteran catcher gave himself the chance to opt out on May 1 when he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on April 10. After playing seven games with Triple-A Worcester, the time came for Grandal to either exercise the option or stay put for the time being.

Grandal has decided not to opt out, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported Thursday afternoon, in an effort to get more at-bats over the next few weeks. There was interest in Grandal coming from other clubs, but Cotillo wrote that the 36-year-old likes in the organization he is in now.

Yasmani Grandal is remaining with the Red Sox organization in an effort to get more at-bats over the next couple weeks, per source, and not exercising his May 1 opt-out. There is interest elsewhere but Grandal likes the organization and is going to spend more time in Worcester.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 1, 2025

The Red Sox brought in Grandal shortly after Connor Wong hit the 10-day injured list with a fractured left finger. Wong's rehab assignment is nearly complete, though, and he is expected to rejoin Boston for their series against the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.

That would leave Wong and Carlos Narváez as the Red Sox's two MLB catchers. Grandal could always insert himself into that conversation, though, considering his resume in the big leagues.

Grandal is a two-time All-Star, earning spots in the Midsummer Classic in 2015 and 2019. He spent three seasons with the San Diego Padres, four with the Los Angeles Dodgers, one with the Milwaukee Brewers, four with the Chicago White Sox and one with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Across 72 games with the Pirates in 2024, Grandal hit .228 with nine home runs, 10 doubles, 27 RBIs, a .704 OPS and 0.6 WAR. But from July 5 on, Grandal hit .296 with a .982 OPS.

Grandal's most productive campaign this decade came with the White Sox in 2021, when he hit .240 with 23 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .939 OPS and a 3.7 WAR in 93 games.

For his career, Grandal is a .236 hitter with a .769 OPS, averaging 24 home runs, 73 RBIs and a 2.5 WAR per 162 games. From 2014 to 2021, Grandal ranked second among MLB catchers with 163 home runs, trailing only Salvador Perez.

During his brief time with the Worcester Red Sox, Grandal has hit .250 with an .879 OPS.

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