Nearly two months after signing a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, catcher Yasmani Grandal has reportedly decided to join his team at home.
An unsigned free agent through the offseason and spring training, Grandal was approached by the Red Sox after the early season injury to catcher Connor Wong, who suffered a broken pinky finger on April 7 when his hand was hit by George Springer’s bat in a loss to the Blue Jays. Concerned about its depth at catcher, Boston signed Grandal a few days later and sent him to Triple-A Worcester.
However, that depth was never tested, as Carlos Narváez proved more than capable of filling the starting spot. Once Wong was activated from the injured list on May 2, it became apparent to Grandal that his services would not be needed at the major league level.
Thirteen-Year MLB Catcher Yasmani Grandal Says ‘It’s Time to be Dad’
So on Monday, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by WooSox beat writer Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Grandal approached manager Chad Tracy to ask for his release from the team.
“It was his choice,” Tracy said on Tuesday, as relayed by Cassell. “We talked yesterday … and his response was, ‘It’s time to be dad.’”
Although no official announcement has been made, indications are that the 36-year-old Grandal is strongly considering retirement. Grandal and his wife Heather have three children, a daughter and two sons.
Yasmani Grandal Played for Five Teams Over Long Career
GettyYasmani Grandal, a veteran of 13 MLB seasons, asked for his release by the Worcester Red Sox. He was signed to a minor league deal in early April after the injury to Connor Wong.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Grandal was drafted out of the University of Miami by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round (12th overall) of the 2010 draft. He was traded in 2011 along with Yonder Alonso, Edinson Volquez and Brad Boxberger to the San Diego Padres for Mat Latos on December 17, 2011, then made his MLB debut the following June with the Padres.
After three seasons in San Diego, Grandal was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers with Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin for Matt Kemp and Tim Federowicz, and Grandal would spend four seasons with the Dodgers, topping the 20-home run mark three times. He signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee for the 2019 season, when he reached career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (77), then spent his next four seasons with the Chicago White Sox.
Grandal signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the start of spring training in 2024, and he played 72 games in a platoon role with the Pirates, slashing .228/.304/.400 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs over 243 plate appearances. With Worcester, Grandal had 94 plate appearances over 23 games, posting a slash line of .256/.372/.397 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.
A veteran of 13 MLB seasons, Grandal has 194 home runs and 592 RBIs with a career slash line of .236/.345/.424.
Longtime MLB Veteran Tells Red Sox He’s Hanging Up Cleats To ‘Be Dad’