Brewers Spend $18 Million On Free Agent Catcher

MILWAUKEE, WI -- The Milwaukee Brewers have upgraded their catching position after reaching an agreement with free agent Yasmani Grandal. The contract will pay Grandal $18.25 million in 2019.

Milwaukee will forfeit their third-highest MLB draft pick - 104th overall - in the deal. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the deal is pending the completion of a physical.

Milwaukee Brewer fans will probably remember Grandal as the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher from his foibles during the 2018 National League Championship Series. Over the course of several games, Grandal was bedeviled by wild pitches and defensive miscues at inopportune times.

The move by Milwaukee was unexpected, after Grandal turned down a four-year deal with the New York Mets for about $60 million. When the free-agent catcher failed to net other lucrative offers, he agreed to sign with Milwaukee for one year.

In Grandal, the Brewers get one of the best hitting catchers in the majors. Grandal hit .241/.349/.466 last season while playing half of his games in cavernous Dodger Stadium. By contrast, Milwaukee catchers Erik Kratz, Manny Pina et. al., struck a .237/.294/.363 line hitting half the time in a more favorable venue that is Miller Park.

Photo Credit: Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)