Former Brewers catcher Grandal signs four-year deal with White Sox

The Milwaukee Brewers will have a new starting catcher in 2020.

Yasmani Grandal parlayed a big season with Milwaukee into a four-year, $73 million contract from the Chicago White Sox, who announced the signing of the free-agent catcher Thursday.

Grandal signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Brewers last offseason — with a mutual option, which he declined — in the hopes of cashing in this offseason in free agency. His bet on himself paid off.

Grandal played 134 games at catcher for Milwaukee in 2019, with 124 starts, and appeared in 153 games overall. He had a slash line of .246/.380/.468 with 28 home runs, 79 runs, 77 RBI and 109 walks.

He set a record for most home runs by a Brewers catcher and was the first Milwaukee player to walk 100+ times in a season since Prince Fielder, who did it from 2009-11. Grandal and Fielder are the only Brewers to reach triple digits in bases on balls in any year.

The Brewers now must figure out their plans for catcher in 2020, which currently consist of Manny Pina, whose option was picked up but who was also demoted to a backup role in 2019, and prospect Jacob Nottingham, who had a cup of coffee in 2019 but struggled in Triple-A.