Yasmani Grandal Signs With Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have made an early offseason splash. The team has announced that they reached an agreement with free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal. Grandal will earn $73 million dollars over four years.
The White Sox are expected to be active this offseason as they make an attempt at contending in 2020. They certainly wasted no time in doing so. Signing Grandal shores up their catching position. The team’s catchers were second worst, only to the Tigers, in strikeout percentage at 30.8%. The team also received positive Wins Above Replacement at 0.8 but it put them at 20th in the league. The team has found their starter in Yasmani Grandal who will help in most offensive categories.
The Numbers
Yasmani Grandal was the second-best catcher by WAR with a 5.2 in 2019. He was second only to J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies. Grandal signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 season on a one year deal in hopes of replicating his elite performance at a position that has sparse talent. The hope was that he could cash in this offseason without having the qualifying offer attached to him.
He did exactly that posting a .246/.380/.468 slash line along with 28 home runs. He walked 17.2% if the time and struck out 22% of the time, representing quite an upgrade to what the White Sox currently have in the fold. Grandal also brings excellent framing skills and will be a boost for a young pitching staff as the Chicago a White Sox look to contend in a weak AL a Central.
It represents the largest contract the White Sox have handed out in their franchise history to a free agent. If this is any indication as to what is to come, the White Sox should continue to be very active in the market. The team will look to add more pieces to help build a contender.
