Position: C
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats/Throws: B/R
Born: 11/08/1988
College: University of Miami
Drafted: 1st Round, 12th Overall, 2010 (Reds)
How Acquired: Free Agent
Bonus: $2,000,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: N/A
Overview
Drafted in the first round by Cincinnati, Grandal was one of the better catchers in MLB from 2014 through 2021. He put up above-average hitting numbers every year of his career through 2021, usually with good power and walk rates. He was also a good defensive catcher, extremely good from 2015-19, according to FanGraphs. In 2022, he suddenly fell off a cliff. His hitting went dramatically downhill. Defensively, he remains a good pitch framer, but his throwing on steal attempts fell off as sharply as his hitting. The Pirates signed Grandal to a one-year deal for 2024, a move that was questionable at best.
2010-14
Grandal reached the majors in his second full season. He spent most of 2011 at High A and AA, then finished with a few games in AAA. His combined line was 305/401/500. The Reds traded him to San Diego after the season. In 2012, he had a big first half in AAA, putting up a .963 OPS, and the Padres called him up at the end of June. Grandal had a 297/394/469 line in 60 games in the majors.
In 2013, Grandal was hurt at the start of the season. He went to AAA in mid-May, then got called up, but in early July he suffered a significant knee injury and missed the rest of the season. He spent all of 2014 with the Padres and put up a solid .728 OPS with 15 home runs. San Diego traded him to the Dodgers after the 2014 season.
2015-21
Grandal hit well in his first year with the Dodgers, with a .756 OPS and 16 home runs. The next year he started on a long, very good run. From 2016 through 2021, Grandal had an OPS between .767 and .940 every year. He also hit between 22 and 28 home runs each year, except the pandemic season in 2020 when he hit eight in 46 games. His career high of 28 longballs came in 2019, after he’d become a free agent and signed with Milwaukee. Grandal became a free agent again after 2019 and signed a four-year deal with the White Sox. In early July 2021, Grandal suffered a torn knee tendon while checking a swing. He returned in late August and finished the season with 23 home runs despite playing in only 93 games. He also had a career high with a .939 OPS.
2022-24
In 2022, Grandal’s hitting dropped off severely, especially his power. He hit just 202/301/269 and also had trouble with base stealers. After previously throwing out somewhere around 30%, his CS% dropped to 15%. The following year, his hitting picked up a little but he still batted only 234/309/339. He threw out 15% again.
Grandal got hurt in spring training and missed April, but he took over as the starting catcher in May and proceeded to have two very different seasons. In the first half, which was mainly May and June, he hit a miserable 178/207/295. In the second half he put up big numbers: 302/429/558, with six home runs in 29 games. The difference may have been reduced playing time after Joey Bart took over as starting catcher. Grandal finished with a 228/304/400 line, with a BB:K of 24:46. Like many switch hitters, he hit RHPs much better than LHPs. Defensively, Statcast rated him as average overall and well above average at framing. As for base stealing, Statcast ranked him in the 1st percentile; he threw out only 8%.
Stats
Transactions
June 8, 2007: Drafted in the 27th round, 834th overall pick, by the Boston Red Sox.
June 7, 2010: Drafted in the 1st round, 12th overall pick, by the Cincinnati Reds; signed on August 16.
September 30, 2011: Contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds.
December 17, 2011: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Brad Boxberger, Edinson Volquez and Yonder Alonso to the San Diego Padres for Mat Latos.
December 18, 2014: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Matt Kemp, Tim Federowicz and cash.
October 29, 2018: Became a free agent.
January 14, 2019: Signed as a free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers.
November 1, 2019: Became a free agent.
November 21, 2019: Signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox.
November 2, 2023: Became a free agent.
February 14, 2024: Signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.