Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates and free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal on Sunday, according to a source. Grandal heads back to the National League for the 2024 season, where he should be expected to serve as Henry Davis' primary backup. The 35-year-old left-handed slugger slashed .226/.343/.375 with 44 home runs and 149 RBI in the last four seasons with the Chicago White Sox. The two-time All-Star is nearing the end of his career and will no longer be attractive in single-catcher leagues because his expected lack of regular playing time in one of the worst offenses in baseball. Grandal hit .234 (85-for-363) with only eight home runs and 33 RBI in 118 games in his final season in Chicago last year. Although he won't be much of a fantasy asset, he should be a good veteran presence in Pittsburgh's clubhouse.

The Seattle Mariners claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday and designated right-hander Darren McCaughan for assignment in a corresponding move. Smith-Njigba is the older brother of Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The 24-year-old outfielder has played in only 18 games at the big-league level the last two years with the Pirates and has gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. In 105 games with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023, Smith-Njigba slashed .280/.366/.473 with an .839 OPS, 15 home runs, 74 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 445 plate appearances. He will give the Mariners additional organizational depth in 2024 and will likely start out with Triple-A Tacoma.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo's versatility may keep him from being the "everyday" second baseman in 2024, according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Triolo impressed in his rookie season in 2023, hitting .298/.388/.398 with three home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 30 runs scored in his first 54 major-league games. He's also a minor-league Gold Glove defender at third base and basically can play any position on the infield dirt. The fact that Triolo carries four gloves because of his utility defensively makes it seem less likely that he sticks at second permanently versus bouncing around. The good news is that the 25-year-old should see plenty of playing time at multiple positions, although it's fair to wonder how well he'll perform after having a fortunate BABIP while striking out a third of the time in 2023. Triolo is most attractive in deep mixed and NL-only leagues because of his defensive versatility.

MLB.com's Jake Crouse thinks Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Liover Peguero is the likeliest candidate to see the majority of repetitions at second base in 2024 thanks to his power-speed combination potential in what will be a crowded battle at the keystone in spring training among the likes of Peguero, Ji-Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzalez, Jared Triolo and Alika Williams. But Peguero, 23, has the most power among the group and is also the second-fastest player on the team behind Bae. However, he only got on base in 2023 at a .280 clip and stole only eight bases in 59 games. Inconsistent contact let to a meager .374 slugging percentage as well. Still, there's still growth potential for Peguero, who was called up to the majors in mid-July last year. In NL-only leagues, Peguero is the best gamble at second base in Pittsburgh, but he's going to need to make more contact and keep the ball off the ground more to tap into more power.

The Minnesota Twins are considered a possible landing spot for veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Taylor was mentioned as a potential target after the Twins created payroll by trading Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners. The veteran outfielder spent 2023 with the Twins, slashing .220/.278/.442 while slugging a career-high 21 home runs. He was also terrific defensively, posting a 95th-percentile OAA and 90th-percentile arm strength. Taylor appeared in 129 games last year and figures to maintain a very large role in 2024 regardless of where he signs. If the Twins don't bring back Taylor, another outfield option is veteran slugger Adam Duvall.