Less than a week before Opening Day, the Chicago White Sox announced the signing of veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman to a minor league deal. The switch hitter will report to White Sox camp in Arizona and will start the season ramping up in the minors.
The #WhiteSox have agreed to terms with OF Robbie Grossman on a minor-league contract including an invite to major-league camp.
Following the signing, the White Sox have 45 players remaining in camp: 24 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and 10 outfielders.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 22, 2024
Grossman entered free agency after winning the World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023. He provided the Rangers with quality at-bats and a veteran presence as younger outfield options developed further. In fact, Grossman has received credit and praise for helping potential star Evan Carter adapt to the bigs during their postseason run.
Now that these youngsters appear ready to take on a bigger role in Texas, the Rangers decided to move on. One year later, Grossman will look to impact a young White Sox team in a similar fashion.
Chicago White Sox Sign Robbie Grossman
At this point in his career, the 34-year-old Grossman mainly provides quality at-bats and clubhouse leadership. While he hit just .238 in 115 games last season, Grossman produced a 100 OPS+ (league-average production) thanks to a great eye at the plate.
His 13.6 walk percentage ranked in the 92nd percentile and helped lead him to a .340 on-base percentage. As a team last year, Chicago ranked last in MLB with a 6.3 walk percentage and a .291 on-base percentage.
Additionally, no qualified player in the game produced a better Chase percentage than Grossman. This indicates that Grossman will not swing at balls, which will often put him in favorable counts. This tends to put hitters in great positions to succeed rather than playing from behind each at-bat. Chicago’s roster features many young players who lack discipline at the plate. The new regime likely hopes that Grossman’s professional approach rubs off on his new teammates.
A team like the White Sox can sign Grossman and get the most value from him through a platoon. Despite hitting from both sides, Grossman feasts off lefties and struggles against righties. In 1,219 career plate appearances against southpaws, Grossman has slashed .282/.381/.426. In 3,097 plate appearances against righties, his numbers drop to .229/.332/.360.
Robbie Grossman pimp job! 6-0!!! pic.twitter.com/wDuZ8E9U1u
— Texas Rangers Insider (@RangersInsiders) September 14, 2023
The 116 point difference in OPS shows the stark difference in his production. Chicago currently plans on having young lefty Dominic Fletcher in right field and veteran lefty Andrew Benintendi in left. Grossman’s experience in each corner spot likely shows that Chicago plans on using him as a bench/insurance piece.
Defense
While the veteran comes with versatility, advanced metrics never viewed his defense in a positive light. In his career, Grossman has earned -33 Defensive Runs Saved and -17 Outs Above Average. While tactics like better positioning can help manipulate or improve these numbers, the White Sox likely signed Grossman due to his offensive capabilities, not his defense.
A DH role might suit Grossman best, but Eloy Jiménez seems to have that role locked down. That said, Jiménez gets hurt often, and Grossman would present a solid option to take some of those potential at-bats.
But for now, Grossman will work out at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona before likely playing in minor league games. If he shows the White Sox that he has more in the tank, he should make a legitimate impact on the young squad.
Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
