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LOS ANGELES — Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal agreed to terms on a one-year contract for 2017 on Friday, avoiding salary arbitration.
Grandal will earn $5.5 million this season, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, a raise from $2.8 million in 2016.
With four years, 115 days of major league service time, this was Grandal’s second time through the arbitration process. The 28-year-old catcher hit .228/.339/.477 in 126 games for the Dodgers in 2016 and led all major league catchers in home runs (27) and walks (64).
After reviewing comparable catchers with four years of service time, I guessed a salary of $5 million for Grandal in 2017, while MLB Trade Rumors projected a salary of $5.3 million.
Grandal’s salary is the sixth-highest by a Dodgers catcher, and the highest since Todd Hundley made $6.5 million in 2004.
Highest-paid Dodgers catchers
| Rank | Player | Year | Salary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Year | Salary | Source |
| 1) | Mike Piazza | 1998 | $8,000,000 | LA Times, 1/22/97 |
| 2) | Mike Piazza | 1997 | $7,000,000 | LA Times, 1/22/97 |
| 3) | Todd Hundley | 2004 | $6,500,000 | AP, 12/4/02 |
| 4) | Todd Hundley | 2000 | $6,000,000 | AP, 12/2/98 |
| 5) | Todd Hundley | 2003 | $6,000,000 | AP, 12/4/02 |
| 6) | Yasmani Grandal | 2017 | $5,500,000 | Ken Gurnick |
| 7) | Todd Hundley | 1999 | $5,200,000 | AP, 12/2/98 |
| 8) | Russell Martin | 2010 | $5,050,000 | TBLA, 1/19/10 |
| 9) | A.J. Ellis | 2016 | $4,500,000 | TBLA, 12/2/15 |
| 10) | A.J. Ellis | 2015 | $4,250,000 | TBLA, 1/13/15 |
| 11) | Paul Lo Duca | 2004 | $4,000,000 | LA Times |