Rangers Acquire Robbie Grossman from White Sox

By Nate Miller

May 8, 2024

The Texas Rangers have netted outfielder Robbie Grossman in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. In exchange for Grossman, the Rangers are sending minor league right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa to Chicago. The deal was announced on Wednesday morning prior to the Rangers’ doubleheader against the Oakland Athletics. In a corresponding roster move, the Rangers have designated left-handed pitcher Kolton Ingram for assignment. They will make an additional transaction to accommodate Grossman on the 40-man roster when he reports to the club. The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright Ingram to the minor leagues.

The 34-year-old outfielder has spent this season with the White Sox, batting .211/.329/.268/.597 (15-for-71) with no home runs and four RBI. The switch-hitter has gone 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles, four walks, and four strikeouts against left-handed pitchers in 2024. Last year, Robbie Grossman batted .309/.416/.536/.952 with five home runs, 10 doubles, 23 walks, and 32 strikeouts against left-handers. Grossman posted the third-highest on-base percentage and sixth-highest OPS figure against lefties in the American League (minimum 100 PA vs. LHP). The veteran is a career .283 hitter against left-handed pitching with an .810 OPS.

This year, Grossman has made 19 starts for the White Sox. Last year with the Rangers, he slashed.238/.340/.394/.734 (84-for-353). He hit 10 home runs, 23 doubles, and 49 RBI over 115 games in his first season in Arlington. Grossman started 99 of the team’s 162 games in left field (39), designated hitter (36), and right field (24). He drew walks in 13.6% of his plate appearances for the season — 5.2 percentage points better than the AL average — and appeared in seven games during the Rangers’ run to the 2023 World Series title. The 12-year veteran has a career .243 batting average with 90 home runs and 419 RBI over 1,151 games with the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Rangers, and White Sox.

Heading to the Southside

Meanwhile, Hoopii-Tuionetoa has gone 1–0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA over 10 relief appearances for Double-A Frisco. The Hawaii native has spent his entire professional career in the Rangers organization. He was selected in the 30th round of the 2019 Draft.

Ingram was acquired by the Rangers from the New York Mets via waiver claim on April 24 and assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. He has tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the Express since joining the Rangers organization.

With these transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the club’s major league roster, along with six players on the 60-day Injured List: Brock Burke, Carson Coleman, Jacob deGrom, Justin Foscue, Josh Jung, and Tyler Mahle.