And there’s reason for optimism that he’ll produce at an even greater rate in 2019. If the Brewers are willing to commit to a three- or four-year deal in the $23 million-to-$25 million per year range, Grandal will be back. Miller Park. Porter is fourth on the Fangraphs WAR leaderboard for Brewers catchers. 2018 Season 2020 Season. Here is Adam McCalvy’s ranking of the top 5 catchers in Brewers history.
News . The Milwaukee Brewers absolutely should bring back Grandal for 2020 and beyond.Grandal will be only 31 years old at Opening Day 2020. One of the top two-way backstops in the games for the past five seasons was looking to get paid a commensurate amount and seeking a long-term guarantee at the outset of the offseason. Grandal felt a duty to his brothers donning the tools of ignorance to set a new bar for AAV for the next big free agent catcher to beat, and became amenable to one-year deals in order to accomplish that goal.Catcher is arguably the most demanding position on the diamond. 1. He was an absolute bargain on a one-year deal worth $18.25 million for the Brewers.
The duo got the Brewers through most of 2018 - Manny Pina and Erik Kratz - thrived defensively and with the pitching staff. The switch-hitting Grandal does most of his damage as a southpaw swinger, and the favorable conditions at his home field could help Grandal pass the 30-homer threshold for the first time in his career.Yasmani Grandal was not finding any offers to his liking on the open market. Among catchers with at least 1,500 plate appearances since the start of 2014, Grandal’s first season as a full-time player, he ranks second behind only Buster Posey in terms of wRC+ from the catching position. News . Brewers’ backstops combined for a .238/.294/.363 slash line last season, which translated to a 75 wRC+ that ranked 23rd among the 30 MLB teams.Grandal is no slouch on defense, either. Oh yeah, and he has to be able to hit worth a lick, too. I count 43 home runs. Brewers Play of the Day Powerball Home Run Leaderboard Brewers On Tap Brewers Must C Brewers Cut4 Brewers Reviews Brewers Game Recaps Carry the Freight Brewers Podcasts MLB Network. Brewers Play of the Day Powerball Home Run Leaderboard Brewers On Tap Brewers Must C Brewers Cut4 Brewers Reviews Brewers Game Recaps Carry the Freight Brewers Podcasts MLB Network. Join the Reviewing The Brew team!Yes. His defense has come far enough along that there is now little doubt he’ll stick behind the plate and his 126 wRC+ in Colorado Springs last season offers some hope that he’ll be able to hit enough against big league pitching, though the strikeouts remain a concern.Thus the Brewers were able to snap up Grandal for a one-year guarantee of $18.25 mil ($16 mil base plus a $2.25 mil buyout of a $16 mil mutual option for 2020) and add to their lineup a player with a legitimate case as the best catcher in baseball. Sure, he allows an above-average amount of passed balls (which was especially glaring in the playoffs), but in terms of Wins Above Replacement, Grandal has generated 26.7 WARP over his career when factoring in his pitch framing, as Baseball Prospectus’ calculation does.GM David Stearns probably would have been content with entering 2019 with a reprisal of the Pina/Kratz pairing behind the plate; the two did combine for 3.6 WARP last season based mostly on their defensive prowess. Official Releases Probable Pitchers Brewers Pipeline Photo Stream RSS News Feed Brewers History MLB News.