Should I Stay or Should I Go: Yasmani Grandal

fWAR: -0.4
bWAR: -1.5
WARP: 0.6

He should stay Grandal was a centerpiece of the White Sox’s first back-to-back postseason appearances in franchise history, providing a combination of power and pitch framing as a backstop that had been absent for years. When at his best, Grandal is the most proven and reliable source of left-handed power in a lineup otherwise bereft of it. With relatively unproven catchers Seby Zavala and Carlos Pérez the only backups available on the depth chart, the most expensive player in team history (groan) is the only one with a clear ceiling to point to and hope for.

He should go It would be hard to have envisioned a more nightmarish scenario than Grandal’s 2022 campaign, going from a preseason projection as the top catcher and one of the best overall players in the league to being a negative-value player (sorry WARP, I don’t know what you’re smoking). After two outstanding seasons, Grandal ran off the cliff, and if his knees are truly shot at this point, it’s doubtful he can claw his way back to the precipice, even if he gets an increased role at DH (a spot that should probably be reserved for Eloy Jiménez). Time is not kind to catchers, and approaching his age-34 season, Grandal’s tenure as a viable MLB catcher may have finally succumbed to it.

The verdict Sadly, the only options available to the White Sox are see what Grandal has left in the tank and hope for the best, or just DFA him and try to open up a spot on the roster for healthier players. He has absolutely no trade value after his 2022 face-plant, so the White Sox are just kinda left holding the bag at this point. They’re best served trying to squeeze whatever baseball remains out of Grandal, but if it’s apparent early on that the well is dry, they’ll have to be prepared to move on.

That said, the White Sox should be trying to build more catching depth, with a priority on signing a defense-minded backstop to pair with Seby Zavala and allowing Carlos Pérez further time to hone his craft in Charlotte. It’s not pretty, but it’s the best they can make of a deteriorating situation.