Ben Cherington Breaks From the Norm at Catcher for 2024 (+)

As you were spending your Super Bowl Sunday watching Patrick Mahomes lead the Kansas City Chiefs to an overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was busy at work.

The Pirates agreed to a one-year contract with catcher Yasmani Grandal, pending a physical.

Grandal, 35, brings 12 years of major-league experience to the Pirates and projects to serve as one of two catchers on the club’s opening day roster alongside 2021 top pick Henry Davis.

Grandal marks the third-consecutive offseason in which Cherington and the Pirates have signed a free agent catcher. This one, however, is different than the others.