This Day In Sox History...November 21

[Lip Man 1]

November 21, 2019 - The White Sox announced to the baseball world that they were ready to move on to the next phase of their rebuild by signing All-Star free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal to a four-year deal worth 73 million dollars, the largest in franchise history at that time. Grandal was that rare catcher who combined both offensive power and excellent defensive skills especially in framing pitches. Part of the reason the White Sox were so aggressive in trying to sign him was because of how he’d benefit a young pitching staff still trying to find their way in the game at the Major League level.

In the 2021 season Grandal, despite injuries, would slug 23 home runs, drive in 62 RBI’s and walk 82 times in 93 games. He’d also tie the team record with eight RBI’s in a single game when he did it against the Cubs on August 27 at Guaranteed Rate Field. But his final two years would be very poor.