Here's the catch: Grandal can help White Sox, but he has to stay healthy
Yasmani Grandal is living in the present.
"I'm not talking about last season," the White Sox's veteran catcher told reporters after arriving at spring training in Arizona last week. "We've already spoken about last year. So it's a new year. Let's talk about this year."
It comes as no surprise that Grandal is ready to turn the page after a frustrating 2022 season.
Never able to fully recover from a torn right knee tendon that required surgery in '21, Grandal was on the field for only 99 games last year. The switch-hitter batted a career low .202 and was limited to 5 home runs and 27 RBI.
Spending much of the offseason in Chicago working with Blackhawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman, Grandal reported to camp feeling much more like his old self.
"It feels good driving the ball the way I want," the 34-year-old Grandal said. "My legs are working the way I want."
With his base back, Grandal's offensive production should increase and his defensive play should also improve.
"That's a credit to him and what he did with his body," Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "He's putting in a full day's work. He's able to get in positions this year that he wasn't able to get in last year, body-wise. He's working lower to the ground, he doesn't have to get on a knee as much.
"He just wasn't healthy last year and now he is. I'm excited where he is right now."
A healthy Grandal should be able to add some needed power to the White Sox's lineup.
Last season, the Sox ranked 10th in the American League with 149 home runs. Grandal hit 23 homers in only 93 games in 2021 and he went deep 22 times or more from 2016-19.
"The difference from this year to last year is I had to try and swing, and it shouldn't be that way," Grandal said. "It should be effortless. It should feel like you're not even trying to swing the bat, the bat is just going, which is how I'm feeling at this moment."
In early defensive drills, Grandal also notices a positive difference.
"The fact that I'm able to move through the bottom while I'm catching, being agile back there, being strong, having my legs underneath me, it's going to allow me to do many things behind the plate," he said. "Whether it's blocking, receiving or throwing, whatever it is that I need to do. From that aspect of the game, it feels really good."
As he enters the final season of a four-year, $73 million contract, there is no doubt Grandal is the White Sox's No. 1 catcher - assuming he can stay healthy.
Seby Zavala returns as the backup after a solid 2022 season.
In 61 games with the Sox, Zavala improved his offense with a .270/.347/.382 hitting line to go with 2 home runs and 21 RBI.
Defensively, Zavala had a 4.01 catcher's ERA and he threw out 7 of 29 attempted base stealers (24 percent).