Grandal might be an appealing trade chip

The Dodgers are willing to trade catcher Yasmani Grandal, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.
"Rival clubs say #Dodgers are willing to trade catcher Yasmani Grandal, who is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility," Morosi tweeted on Wednesday night. The Dodgers have not confirmed the report.
Grandal, 29, slashed .247/.308/.459 with 22 home runs in 129 games for Los Angeles last season. An All-Star in 2015, he hit a combined 49 homers over the past two seasons. The 29-year-old saw limited playing time in the 2017 postseason, with Austin Barnes starting in 13 of the club's 15 games.
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With Grandal entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, and having made $5.5 million last season, keeping him on the roster as a backup would be a relatively expensive option. While it's possible the club could decline to tender a contract to Grandal prior to Friday's non-tender deadline, making him a free agent, it's more likely the club will head to arbitration with the veteran catcher and then look to trade him to a club seeking a starting backstop.

The market for catchers this offseason is relatively small. Among the few teams that could use a backstop are the A's, who are facing uncertainty at the position. Oakland's current options are Bruce Maxwell, Josh Phegley and Dustin Garneau. Maxwell has had issues off the field, with legal proceedings resulting from aggravated assault charges pending. Phegley struggled in 2017, slashing .201/.255/.336. Garneau also struggled (.585 OPS in 41 games), and has little Major League catching experience.
Another club that could be looking for a catcher is the Rockies, though general manager Jeff Bridich has said Colorado would like to re-sign free agent Jonathan Lucroy after acquiring him in a trade with the Rangers last season. The Rockies are also a division rival of the Dodgers, possibly making a trade between the two less likely.