Chicago White Sox take big step toward contending by signing Yasmani Grandal

The White Sox have been saying for two years that they were ready to spend, finishing as the runner-up in a few of the free-agent sweepstakes last winter, but this winter seemed like the best opportunity for the team to add some significant talent from outside the organization. Enough of their prospects have become productive major leaguers that you can see a championship core forming, with more prospects either just arriving (Dylan Cease) or about to do so (Luis Robert), but it wasn't likely to be enough even in a division that's probably the least competitive one through five of any in baseball. Adding the best catcher on the market in Yasmani Grandal was probably the best move they could make short of landing one of the aces available in free agency -- and that's not to say they couldn't do that too.