The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a four-year, $73 million contract with free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal, the team announced Thursday.
It is the biggest contract in the history of the White Sox franchise. The 31-year-old Grandal will receive $18.25 million per season through 2023.
“He’s such a quality guy,” White Sox president Ken Williams said of Grandal. “And for him to understand our messaging, our goals, our path, and to say, ‘I want to be a part of that and I’m going to commit to it early so we can move on to the next thing heading into the Winter Meetings,’ just shows what kind of character we’re talking about.”
James McCann, 29, was the White Sox’s starting catcher last season and was an All-Star for the first time, hitting .273 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. He is signed for the 2020 season with a contract that carries a base salary of $4.9 million.
Grandal reportedly turned down a four-year, $60 million offer from the New York Mets last offseason and bet on himself to have a big year. It paid off.
After signing a one-year, $18.25 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, Grandal posted career highs in homers (28) and RBIs (77) and earned his second career All-Star appearance. He walked over 100 times to post a .380 OBP.
The eight-year veteran has hit more than 20 homers each of the past four seasons.
“This was all planned, going back five years ago when we started this and started thinking about this,” Williams said. “We get ourselves in position with our young core and we could augment it with guys like this.
“… Clearly, we’re trying to put ourselves in a window that could very well start next year but extend to the next five to seven years.”