Tigers Sign Robbie Grossman
The Detroit Tigers have added reinforcement in the form of outfielder Robbie Grossman. The deal comes at a slow point in the offseason. It is reportedly for two years and worth $10 million. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was among those to confirm the signing late Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.
The #Tigers grab Robbie Grossman https://t.co/WqRAOo0igS
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 5, 2021
Grossman had another perfectly acceptable campaign in 2020 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. During his age-30 campaign, he hit .241/344/482 with eight home runs in 192 plate appearances. Grossman has always been a patient hitter based on a career 350 on-base percentage, but the increased slugging produced a career-best 126 wRC+. Furthermore, his isolated power also jumped up to .241, which is a huge number compared to a .127 career mark in that category. Pretty much every number indicates one of the best seasons in Grossman’s career albeit over a 60-game sample.
The Pittsburgh Pirates originally drafted Grossman in the sixth round of the 2008 Amateur Draft. They traded him to the Houston Astros in 2012 as part of a trade involving Wandy Rodriguez as well. Grossman debuted the following year and accumulated 288 plate appearances with a .268/332/370 slash line. He’s never been an All-Star or core piece of any team he has played on, but a cumulative .252/350/380 slash line with slightly below-average defense in left field has produced a fine career. He is second in his draft round in career WAR behind only Josh Harrison.
Where Grossman Fits in Detroit
The Tigers won’t be great in 2021. Although, they could be better with Grossman and a plethora of young pitching talent. The 31-year old can certainly hit in the top half of Detroit’s lineup due to his plate discipline. It’s not unreasonable to expect the bulk of his plate appearances and innings will come as the starting left fielder with the Tigers. There are major questions regarding if Grossman can repeat the numbers he put up from the 2020 season, but this looks like a smart move for the Detroit Tigers and could potentially pay off some big dividends.
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