Grandal is currently away from Triple-A Worcester, and the backstop isn’t expected to return. A first-round pick back in 2010, Grandal has bounced around organizations but was a very effective catching option for the majority of his career, and his respectable .236/.345/.424 slash with 194 career homers understates his production in his best seasons.

Organizationally, the Red Sox have seen their catching depth take a hit with Connor Wong shelved due to a broken finger. Grandal did not participate in spring training with any team, so it’s going to take him a while to ramp up before he’d be an option to help out at the major league level. In the meantime, Carlos Narvaez and Blake Sabol will share the load behind the plate for the Red Sox.

Grandal, once considered among the elite offensive performers at the catcher position, slashed just .228/.304/.400 with nine homers, 27 RBI and a 46/24 K/BB ratio in 243 plate appearances with the Pirates during the 2024 campaign. He just turned 36-years-old and his days of grading out as a major asset behind the plate have faded away. He may still wind up with a backup gig someplace, but Grandal’s days of fantasy relevancy are in the rearview mirror.

Grandal put the Pirates on the board with a solo homer off Luis Gil in the second inning. He later knocked a base hit to lead off the fifth and scored on a two-run shot by Billy Cook. Grandal knocked a third hit in the ninth to drive in a run and scored a third time on a home run by Nick Yorke. The 35-year-old backstop hit .228/.304/.400 with nine homers and 27 RBI across 243 plate appearances.