Free agent veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Grandal spent 2024 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a minor-league contract, sources say. Grandal was with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 10, 2025
Free Agent Catcher Yasmani Grandal Signs with Red Sox
The Red Sox will be Grandal’s sixth different team as he begins his 14th season in the major leagues. He was the No. 1 draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, although he never played a game for the Reds. Instead, his career has taken him to the San Diego Padres, for whom he made his major league debut in 2012, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, and Pirates.
In 2024, Grandal appeared in 72 games for the Pirates and hit .228/.304/.400, 9 HR, and 27 RBI. For his career, the 36-year-old switch-hitter has hit 236/.345/.424, 194 HR, and 592 RBI. Seven times in his career, he’s reached double figures in home runs. However, the last time was in 2021 when he hit 23 homers for the White Sox. His 2024 numbers are more in line with his two previous seasons.
Grandal has never received high marks defensively and is a player in decline in that department as well. In 2024, he threw out a woeful 8.3 percent of would-be base stealers and registered -4 Fielding Runs Above Average with zero Defensive Runs Saved. Where he grades high is pitching framing. FanGraphs credited him with an 8.5 Framing War as a component of his 1.4 overall WAR.
What Grandal Brings to Boston
Interestingly, in 2024, Grandal was the personal catcher of rookie All-Star Paul Skenes. One would think that the only thing Skenes would need to be told is, “The mound is that way.” Yet, manager Derek Shelton saw value in keeping the tandem together.
Where Grandal drew the most praise for his work in Pittsburgh were his game-planning skills and willingness to pass his knowledge onto young Henry Davis. Those factors, along with the fact that Grandal hit .311/.440/.554 over the last two months, are likely what made the free agent attractive to the Red Sox. Anything close to that type of performance should make his new employer happy.
Photo Credit: © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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