Paul Skenes’ first personal catcher with Pirates expected to retire from baseball

Ever since coming up to the major leauges, Paul Skenes has been given a personal catcher. No matter what, the same catcher has caught him daily, regardless of what they are doing at the plate. Henry Davis has taken those duties this season, but last year, in Skenes' all-important arrival season, it was Yasmani Grandal.

There were multiple opportunities for the Pirates to bring back Grandal this season, but the team decided not to. Instead, he received a minor-league contract with the Red Sox. Now, entering June, he is opting out, as he does not want to play in Triple-A, marking what is expected to be the end of his MLB career. Grandal likely saw a path to significant playing time with Boston - and, to be fair, so did the Red Sox - but the emergence of rookie Carlos Narvaez behind the plate has changed that trajectory.

Playing in Pittsburgh was not the highlight of Grandal's playing career, but his impact was significant during the 2024 season. He got Skenes situated, and even while the rookie would likely dominate with any catcher, Grandal was given the initial responsibility of calling his games. That led to Skenes winning the Rookie of the Year and starting in the All-Star Game.

Being Skenes' personal catcher was not all he did in Pittsburgh, either. He got off to a similar start to the one Tommy Pham got off to this year, but finished the season as one of the top players on the team. He posted a 95 wRC+ with a .704 OPS and 1.3 fWAR. Even though he played in just 72 games, Grandal made a solid impact to Pittsburgh.

Yasmani Grandal is expected to retire after finishing his MLB career as Paul Skenes’ personal catcher.

Grandal was a two time All-Star and finished his career ranked 18th in home runs among all catchers at 194. He also ranked 24th in RBI with 592. He was always known for his glove behind the plate, and his power was always a plus, too.

Even while he was not a longtime Pirate, Grandal will still be remembered in Pittsburgh as Skenes' first personal catcher. After his monster second half in 2024, it was disappointing to not see the Pirates bring him back in 2025. Now, because of that, his time is likely over as a major leaguer.