Pirates?land veteran backstop Grandal on 1-year deal
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The Pirates and veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal are in agreement on a one-year contract, the Pirates announced on Wednesday. The team also announced the signing of left-hander Josh Fleming on a one-year deal.
Grandal, 35, was one of the best backstops in baseball during the first 10 seasons of his career -- from 2012-21, he posted an .807 OPS with 172 home runs at the plate, and his 74 Defensive Runs Saved behind the plate ranked behind only Buster Posey, Yadier Molina and Roberto P¨¦rez among all MLB catchers.
Over the past two seasons, however, Grandal¡¯s performance both at the plate and behind it declined significantly. From 2022-23, he hit .219/.305/.306 with 13 homers over 781 plate appearances, and he had -16 DRS over that period.
The Pirates¡¯ catching corps featured Endy Rodr¨ªguez (23 years old), Jason Delay (28) and 2021 first overall Draft pick Henry Davis (24). With Rodr¨ªguez out for the 2024 campaign following Tommy John surgery, the catching depth was thinner and remained relatively inexperienced.
Grandal, despite his struggles the past couple of seasons, provides a veteran presence at the position, and the Bucs will hope a change of scenery helps him bounce back in terms of his production.
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