In catcher Yasmani Grandal's eight years in the big leagues, some of the pitchers on his teams have preferred to throw to somebody other than him. Pitchers -- especially starting pitchers -- see themselves as king for the day in the games they take the ball, so they want everything the way they prefer, from the clubhouse music to the catcher. And not everybody has been comfortable throwing to Grandal.
But this was also true of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, whom pitchers viewed as an erratic defender. And Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez, who some pitchers believed called too many fastballs early in his career to give himself the best chance to throw out runners. And A.J. Pierzynski, who could be combative over his 19 years in the big leagues -- and won a lot of games along the way. And longtime Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, the primary backstop for four World Series championship teams.
In fact, part of the reason why the Yankees' front office got rid of Joe Girardi after the 1999 season was to compel manager Joe Torre to play Posada, who did not have the best working relationship with David Cone, among others, because of his catching style.
So any problems with Grandal are far from disqualifying, given his statistical preeminence: Like Posada, he's a switch-hitter who gets on base at a high rate and hits for power. Additionally, Grandal fares well in pitch-framing metrics.
Grandal's production at the plate makes him the most coveted catcher in the free-agent market, by far. There are more than a dozen unsigned veteran catchers, most of them accomplished and respected, but Grandal will get the biggest payday among catchers.
He fits with a lot of teams for a lot of reasons, so there appears to be a robust market for Grandal, who turned 31 last week.
Obvious fits
Reds: Six years have passed since Cincinnati last made the playoffs, and incredibly, it's been almost a quarter-century since the franchise last won a postseason series (1995). Owner Bob Castellini is extremely competitive and has been pushing to win, and with the right additions to Cincinnati's solid core, the Reds have a chance to survive the National League Central steel-cage match. Cincinnati's catchers produced 1.6 fWAR last season, 16th in baseball. Milwaukee was No. 1 ... because of Grandal, who had a .380 on-base percentage with 28 homers.
Angels: The Angels' catchers were 27th in fWAR so Grandal would represent a significant upgrade, and owner Arte Moreno has said his team is prepared to spend money this winter. But it's not clear whether the Angels will have to wait for the Gerrit Cole bidding to play out before they focus on other stuff -- and it's not clear whether Grandal would be off the board if and/or when the Angels are ready to move on him.
Astros: They played the World Series with the 35-year-old Robinson Chirinos and the 33-year-old Martin Maldonado, after Max Stassi struggled during the regular season. The addition of Grandal could make a great lineup even better. But with Cole on the open market, the Astros' priority might be starting pitching.
Braves: Grandal could work in tandem with Tyler Flowers in the way that Brian McCann did last year, but providing more power. Atlanta could use an offensive upgrade at catcher, given the possible departure of third baseman Josh Donaldson.
Rangers: Texas is poised to spend big as it prepares to move into its new ballpark, and Grandal would represent a major upgrade.
Mets: They wanted him last winter, and they'd probably like to sign him now. But the Mets are in a budget crunch, and with higher priorities in the bullpen, rotation and center field, the timing doesn't appear to be right.
Cubs: They're listening to trade offers for Willson Contreras, with the 26-year-old Victor Caratini seemingly poised to move into the starting role if Contreras is dealt. What follows is pure speculation: The Cubs seem open-minded to any combination of ways they can improve, and a tandem of Grandal and Caratini would be extraordinary, in depth and match-up options. But it's probably more likely the Cubs would spend their money in other ways.
Yankees: Again, speculation -- the Yankees have touted Gary Sanchez for his power, pitch-calling and throwing arm. But he struggled terribly on defense in this year's playoffs, again, and it would not be unreasonable for someone to suggest a different path -- sign Grandal to give more balance to the Yankees' very right-handed lineup and improve the defense.
Nationals: Washington declined its option on Yan Gomes, so there is a need behind the plate. But the Nationals' priorities are re-signing Stephen Strasburg and/or Anthony Rendon, both of whom may linger on the free-agent market, so it's hard to know when or if Washington could focus on Grandal.
Marlins: It's as if flares are being sent out of Miami that yes, the Marlins are willing to spend money this winter. But Grandal doesn't seem to be the right player at the right time, with Miami still years away from contending.