The Texas Rangers acquired veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday via trade, per Bob Nightengale. The Rangers are sending minor league right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa in exchange for Grossman.
Grossman was part of Texas’ championship-winning squad in 2023, appearing in 115 games in the regular season before 19 at-bets in the postseason. Serving as a platoon outfielder and sometimes as the designated hitter, Grossman finished 2023 with a .238/.340/.394 slash line, driving in 49 runs with 34 extra-base hits.
Grossman was unsigned until March 22 when he inked a minor league deal with the White Sox. He joined the big league club on April 5 and appeared in 25 games. Grossman’s numbers this season include a .211/.329/.268 slash line, four doubles, no home runs and four RBIs.
The switch-hitting Grossman has better stats against left-handed pitching. He hit over .300 against lefties last season, posting a .952 OPS in 137 plate appearances. That OPS ranked sixth in the American League against left-handed pitchers (minimum 100 plate appearances vs. lefties).
Grossman is a career .283 hitter against left-handed pitching. Overall for his career, the 12-year veteran has a .243 batting average, .722 OPS, 200 doubles, 90 home runs and 419 RBI in 1,151 games.
The Rangers already have a crowded outfield so one of them is probably getting demoted or released to make room for Grossman on the active roster. Travis Jankowski is a likely candidate given his poor start to the season in a limited role.
Hoopii-Tuionetoa was a 30th-round pick by the Rangers in 2019. He has not allowed a run and recorded one save across 12.1 innings of relief this season in Double-A. The 23-year-old has a 3.15 ERA and 18 saves in 83 minor-league appearances.
