White Sox Sign All-Star Catcher Yasmani Grandal

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox, who missed out on the top two free agents of the 2018-2019 off-season have already landed one of the best players available in 2019-2020. The team agreed to terms with Yasmani Grandal, who will come to the South Side after a stellar 2019 season with the Milwaukee Brewers. Grandal and the White Sox agreed to a four-year, $73 million contract the team confirmed Thursday. The catcher will get $18.25 million a year from 2020 until 2023.

Grandal, 31, has played eight seasons in Major League Baseball. He was with the San Diego Padres from 2012-2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2015-2018 and the Brewers last season.

He's excited about being part of the White Sox' continued rebuilding process.

“My family and I are very excited and honored to be a part of the Chicago White Sox organization,” Grandal said. “I loved their professionalism, preparation and vision towards the future. I want to thank them for allowing me to be a part of this process moving forward.”

Grandal batted .246/.380/.468 (126-513) with career highs of 28 home runs, 77 RBI, 79 runs scored and 109 walks over 153 games with Milwaukee last season. He was named to his second career National League All-Star Team, having also been an all-star in 2015 when he was with the Dodgers.

Among catchers, last season Grandal was first in on-base percentage and games played, second in extra-base hits, total bases and RBI and third in home runs and slugging.

“Yasmani ranks among the very elite catchers in Major League Baseball today, and we are extremely happy to add a durable and talented player of his caliber to our lineup,” White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn said.

“His selectivity at the plate is a real plus offensively, and as a switch hitter, his combination of power and on-base percentage stand out. Yasmani’s defensive abilities, pitch framing and other advanced catching metrics also separate him from others in the game."