Yasmani Grandal, Milwaukee Brewers
Although Yasmani Grandal’s current contract includes a mutual option for 2020, there’s a good chance he’ll be a free agent for the second consecutive offseason. He joins a handful of players on this list in that same situation, but it was by choice for the veteran catcher.
The former Los Angeles Dodger drew interest from at least the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets on a multi-year basis. He ultimately opted for Milwaukee’s one-year offer because he wanted to continue setting the standard for the top players at his position with regard to average annual value. He accomplished that by signing with the Brewers — his $16 million salary is fourth-highest in baseball among catchers despite the obvious gamble on himself.
The 30-year-old is looking for 2019 to be his fourth consecutive season of 20-plus homers, and being in Milwaukee for home games should help make that happen. Of his 24 homers from last year, 20 came as a left-handed batter, accompanied by a .240 ISO. According to Baseball Prospectus’ park factors by handedness, Miller Park was one of the best places to hit homers for left-handed sluggers in 2018.
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