The American League Central division is the least competitive in baseball. However, the Chicago White Sox general manager said Thursday that Robbie Grossman may join their roster within the next week. Grossman has been on a roll to start the season at Triple-A Charlotte. He’s 3-for-7 with two home runs and five RBI across Charlotte’s first two games. There’s no telling when Grossman, 34, will join their active roster. Getz lauded Grossman as being an accomplished player in the majors. He emphasized his ability to play all outfield positions, so a move could come sooner than expected.
Robbie Grossman May Receive a Promotion Soon
Just over a year ago, the Texas Rangers signed Grossman that guaranteed him $2 million and also came with $5 million in possible incentives. The Rangers had a fairly unsettled outfield mix, with Adolis García‘s presence the only certainty at the time. Grossman got 115 games under his belt for the Rangers, hitting .238/.340/394, which is slightly above leave average thanks to a 102 wRC+. He drew a 13.6 percent walk rate in 420 of his plate appearances and hit 10 home runs. Grossman has played center field in his career, but the vast majority of that experience came back in 2013. He’s primarily a corner outfielder and designated hitter, with the work coming in left field.
Where the Exciting Stuff Lies in Grossman
Grossman is a switch-hitter as he’s always been better against left-handed pitching. For his career, he’s hit left-handers to a respectable .282/.381/.426 batting line. However, against right-handed pitching, he’s hitting .229/.332/.360. The split from both sides of the plate was something else in 2023, ending the season with a .206/.304/.329 against right-handers but went off against southpaws for a .309/.416/.536 slash.
Current Outfield Situation in the South Side
The White Sox went into the season with Dominic Fletcher as their right fielder and Andrew Benintendi playing in left. Fletcher, who hits from the left side, is struggling in the first few games, hitting .091/.167/0.91 in 12 plate appearances. A promotion for Grossman would make sense to replace Fletcher as his success from the right side of the plate would make him a viable option for a platoon partner. Kevin Pillar, who was brought back to the club on a major league deal, is another option from the bench.
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