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With Opening Day just two weeks away, one notable member of the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates remains conspicuously unemployed. Veteran backstop and two-time All-Star Yasmani Grandal, who spent the bulk of last season as the personal catcher to reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, is the top catcher remaining on the free agent market. However, just because he remains unsigned doesn't mean there hasn't been interest in the 36-year-old.
According to a report from Francys Romero, the Atlanta Braves actually made an offer to Grandal in February, but Grandal turned it down.
"He is hoping for other opportunities in the near future," Romero posted on X. "But if those don’t materialize, he may be considering retirement."
Former fan favorite Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal remains unsigned after rejecting contract offer from Braves
Grandal is a 13-year MLB veteran who has appeared in 1,307 games since making his debut in 2012. He spent time with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox before signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Pirates in free agency last year. He is coming off a solid season with Pittsburgh in which he slashed .228/.304/.400 and produced a .704 OPS and 95 wRC+ across 72 games.
It really makes you wonder what about playing for the Braves was so unappealing that retirement sounded like the more preferable option. Perhaps it was the absence of a clear path to regular playing time – which would no longer be an issue, at least in the immediate term, after Sean Murphy suffered a cracked rib in a spring training game on Feb. 27.
Perhaps the Braves may try reaching back out to Grandal in the meantime? If any catchers on other teams go down with injuries, it could further drive up the demand for Grandal's services, at least on a temporary basis. Either way, his 2024 season showed that he is still more than capable of handling a backup or platoon role behind the plate for a Major League club; at this point, it's just a matter of whether he wants to keep playing.
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