According to , the Braves made an offer to free agent catcher about a month ago. Needle s to say, Grandal, who remains unsigned, turned down the proposed deal. The terms of Atlantas offer were not included in Romeros report. Grandal, 36, is the top catcher remaining on the free agent market. Depending on how teams view and , Grandal is arguably the only unsigned catcher capable of filling more than a backup role. During his best years, he was widely considered one of the top catchers in the sport. His performance dropped off significantly in 2022 and 23, but he rebounded with the Pirates in 2024. His offensive numbers were slightly above average for a catcher in nearly every category, while his top-notch pitch framing numbers made him a valuable defender behind the dish. He finished the season with 1.4 FanGraphs WAR in 72 games played. Up until recently, one might have thought the Braves were set at catcher. is entering the third year of his six-year, $73MM contract extension, and the Braves surely want him to play as much as po sible. While he had a down year in 2024, he is only one year removed from an All-Star season in 2023. In addition, the consensus top prospect in Atlantas system is catcher . Soon to be 24, Baldwin excelled at Triple-A Paul George Jersey last year and has continued to excel this spring. He looks ready to make his MLB debut. Its hard to imagine how Grandal would have fit into the mix. However, things changed last week when the Braves announced that with a cracked rib cage. That makes Baldwin the likely Opening Day starter. All of a sudden, the youngster is facing far more pre sure to succeed right away. Thus, if the Braves had any interest in Grandal last month, one would think that interest would only be greater now that Murphy is set to mi s extended time. Indeed, reported a few days ago that the Braves were considering Grandal and McCann. From Grandals perspective, signing with the Braves might now seem more appealing than it did last month. He would have a clear path to regular playing time (or at least a split role with Baldwin) while Murphy is on the shelf. That might only be for a couple of weeks, but even so, it would give Grandal a chance to prove he still deserves a major league opportunity, whether in Atlanta or somewhere else. The Braves are the only team known to have expre sed interest in Grandal this winter, but perhaps another club could look to acquire him if he gets a big league gig and plays well. Romero notes that Grandal is hoping to continue his playing career, though he could consider retirement if the right deal doesnt come together. The 36-year-old has enjoyed a highly succe sful 13-year tenure in Major League Baseball with the Padres, Dodgers, Brewers, White Sox, and Pirates. At his peak, he was a well-above-average offensive catcher, putting up an .807 OPS and a 121 wRC+ over his first 10 seasons. However, his most valuable tool has always been his glove. In particular, Grandal is widely considered one of the most talented pitch framers of his generation. According to FanGraphs, he has racked up 152.0 framing runs throughout his career, easily the most among active catchers. ranks second with 89.3. If Grandal chooses to hang up his catching gear, he will certainly have a strong career to look back on. Ky Bowman Jersey