Los Angeles Dodgers: Potential landing spots for Yasmani Grandal
Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has been testing the waters of free agency since November, which uniform will he be wearing in Spring Training?
This past spring, switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal was one of the hottest players on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s been a consistent source of power in the Dodgers’ lineup for the past four seasons and now he faces a decision; sign elsewhere or wait for the Dodgers to extend a suitable offer.
It’s been reported that Grandal rejected a 4-Year/$60M contract from the Mets. It’s unlikely that the Dodgers will extend an offer similar to the Mets’, with Austin Barnes being a reliable option for LA in Grandal’s position.
When it comes to teams in need of a strong catcher, Grandal is one of the best options out there. He’s a switch-hitter with power and has caught pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and Yu Darvish.
In 2018, Grandal hit .241 with 24 home runs and 68 RBIs.
With the possibility of Grandal signing soon (pitchers and catchers report mid-February) here are the possible teams that could land the former Dodger.
The Cleveland Indians
The Indians are in need of a strong catcher since trading Yan Gomes to Washington in late November. The Indians could potentially match, or surpass the deal offered by the Mets and, should Grandal accept, they would greatly elevate their lineup.
The Indians are still the favorites to win the AL Central and have the potential to challenge teams in the 2019 postseason.
It may be too early for bold postseason predictions, but it isn’t too early to see that Grandal would be a great fit for the 2019 All-Star Game hosts. Grandal has experience catching Cy Young Award winners, something he would be doing as the batterymate of Corey Kluber, and should have no problem fitting in with the elite players in Cleveland.
If a longer deal is what Grandal is looking for, a 5-year,60M(-ish) deal could be possible for Cleveland.
I expect the Indians to seriously pursue Grandal. They need a catcher, and Grandal is the most elite one left of the market, plus he has years of postseason experience.
That said, there are more teams out there who could use Grandals talents on their team.
The Oakland A’s
The A’s are another team in need of a catcher, and they are also a team with postseason potential. Jonathan Lucroy, the team’s primary catcher in 2018, signed with the Los Angeles Angels on December 29th, leaving the A’s with a hole in their lineup.
Bruce Maxwell, the A’s backup catcher, could potentially play a larger role in 2019 but, with strong postseason aspirations, it’s likely that the A’s will target someone with experience playing in October, someone like Grandal.
The A’s need Grandal, or a player with his pedigree, if they want to challenge the Astros’ for the division title, or win a potential AL Wild Card game.
NBC Sports Bay Area has reported that A’s ace Sean Manaea could return from the disabled list as early as the All-Star Break. Should that happen, Manaea would be back in time for a run at October, further helping the A’s postseason efforts.
It’s unclear whether Grandal will be part of whatever plans Oakland has for 2019, but when it comes to available options, Grandal is a pretty good one.
The Atlanta Braves
The Braves are another team that would benefit from adding Grandal to their roster. Kurt Suzuki, who caught a majority of the games for Atlanta, signed with Washington prior to Thanksgiving.
In order for the Braves to compete with another NL East squad on the rise, the Phillies, they need a power-hitter like Grandal in their lineup.
Last season, the Braves made it to the National League division series but lost to the Dodgers. Grandal’s talents as a switch hitter would improve this lineup by adding a consistent threat to back up players like Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman.
It’s entirely possible that we see both the Braves and the Dodgers back in the postseason this October, but which side of the field will Grandal be on?
The Los Angeles Dodgers
Grandal has already proven himself in Los Angeles. He had a rocky postseason, especially in the NLCS, which lead to fans chanting and hoping for Dave Roberts to pull Grandal in favor of the team’s other catcher, Austin Barnes, who went on to start Game 4 of the series.
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Grandal’s struggles worried fans in a time when all that was on the minds of the LA faithful is a potential return to the World Series (which they ultimately got.) “I think it’s driving you guys nuts more than it’s driving me,” Grandal told reporters after Game 3.
Grandal had a rough series, but at the end of the day, the series ended with the Dodgers making their second consecutive trip to the World Series, where he batted .200 in an all-around rough series for LA.
That said, Grandal is quite possibly the best option for LA. They could trade for J.T. Realmuto, where they would probably have to give up at least one top prospect, or they could sign Grandal.
Grandal has already proven that he can catch Kershaw, and Buehler and Kenley Jansen, three pitchers who will play a major role in the Dodgers’ 2019 postseason campaign, and he knows this lineup better than any catcher except for Barnes.
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There’s no word yet as to where Grandal will sign, but wherever it is, whether it be Cleveland, Oakland, Atlanta, LA, or somewhere else entirely, one thing is for sure; that team’s lineup will be stronger than it was before.