*Photo from South Side Sox*
Another backstop is in the fold. Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a one year, $2.5 million contract, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. The team has made the signing official.
Grandal will serve as the mentor and share time behind the plate with Pirates catcher of the future Henry Davis. He has struggled over the past two seasons, posting -16 defensive runs saved as his production with the bat has also faltered. His contract also contains incentives that can add to his total salary.
While he has struggled the last two seasons, Grandal was one of the best catchers in baseball for the first 10. He had 172 home runs and a .807 OPS at the plate while racking up 74 defensive runs saved, good for the 4th highest among catchers.
Last season was Grandal's 4th in a Chicago White Sox uniform. He ended the season with a .234/.309/.339 slash line and a 77 OPS+, hitting 8 home runs and 14 doubles with 33 RBI's over 118 games for the White Sox, who finished the season with a 61-101 record.
Grandal has suited up for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the White Sox in 12 major league seasons. He has a .237/.347/.426 slash line with a 111 OPS+ to his name, adding 185 home runs and 565 RBI's in 1,235 games. He also has a .127/.291/.314 slash line with 6 home runs and 16 RBI's in 40 playoff games.
With Endy Rodriguez out for the season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, Grandal becomes the catcher to platoon with Davis for the Pirates. Ali Sanchez is the other catcher the Pirates have on the 40 man roster, with just 7 games in the majors to his name.
So far this offseason, the Pirates have added veterans Aroldis Chapman, Martin Perez, Rowdy Tellez, and Marco Gonzales to the roster while also re-signing franchise face Andrew McCutchen to a one year deal.
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