The Detroit Tigers have acquired another positional player who previously was with the Minnesota Twins. On Tuesday according to the Associated Press, the Tigers signed outfielder Robbie Grossman of San Diego, CA to a two-year deal worth $10 million from the Oakland Athletics.
Grossman is one of three former Twins positional players who have joined the Tigers over the last two years. Prior to the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season, the Tigers signed first baseman C.J. Cron and second baseman Jonathan Schoop to one-year contracts. However, Cron and Schoop are currently free agents. Due to the fact Schoop is 29 years old, Cron only batted .190 last season, and the Tigers are in a rebuilding phase, it is unlikely that Detroit will have Cron and Schoop back in the lineup in 2021.
The Tigers become the fourth team Grossman has played for in his Major League Baseball career. In addition to the Athletics and Twins, he has played for the Houston Astros. Last season in Oakland, Grossman batted .241 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in. In 51 games, 166 at bats and 192 plate appearances, he scored 23 runs, and collected 40 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, eight stolen bases, 21 walks, 80 total bases, five times hit by a pitch, an on base percentage of .344, and a slugging percentage of .482.
In Oakland’s last game of the regular season, a 12-3 Oakland loss to the Seattle Mariners on September 26, Grossman recorded a multi-home run game. Grossman was third among Athletics in home runs (behind Matt Olson with 14 and Matt Chapman with 10). He also would have been second among Tigers in home runs in 2020. Miguel Cabrera led Detroit with 10 home runs as he was the only Tigers player to reach double digits in dingers.
Grossman primarily played left field with the Athletics over the last two seasons. Expect Grossman to see regular time in the outfield in 2021, where he will play alongside JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes.
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