The Texas Rangers have signed outfielder Robbie Grossman to a one-year contract. The Rangers announced the deal with the ten-year veteran on Friday afternoon. The pact between the two sides will reportedly guarantee Grossman $2 million and can max out at $5 million via performance bonuses. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rangers placed reliever Brett Martin on the 60-day injured list. Martin underwent shoulder surgery last month, and the club announced he’ll miss “a majority” of the upcoming season.
Extra Help in Left Field
Up until the signing of Robbie Grossman, left field was a bit of a question mark for Rangers general manager Chris Young. Young was hoping to fill this void by going outside the organization, and that’s when he found Grossman. He’ll primarily factor into the left field mix in Arlington, with Adolis García penciled into everyday work in right field.
Defensively, Grossman is limited to the corner outfield. He has logged more experience in left field but has an extensive body of work at both spots, with public metrics rating him as average on defense.
Room for Improvement
Last season, the Rangers’ left fielders combined for a .186/.253/.255 slash line. They finished at the bottom of the American League in all three rate stats. Their slugging mark checked in nearly .080 points below that of the Seattle Mariners, who were ranked 29th in that same category. Robbie Grossman isn’t a huge power threat but should help the Rangers rebound from an on-base perspective. This will particularly be of help if new manager Bruce Bochy deploys Grossman more frequently in friendly platoon situations.
What the Grossman Signing Means for the Rangers
Signing Grossman will likely take the Rangers out of the mix for any of the remaining free agent corner outfielders. Jurickson Profar is the top player still unsigned, and his market now looks as clouded as ever. Ben Gamel and Tyler Naquin are among lower-profile role-playing corner outfielders still looking for jobs as well.
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Other Left Field Options
The Rangers aren’t just limited to Garcia and Grossman in left field. Speedster Bubba Thompson and former infield prospects Josh Smith and Ezequiel Durán could also play their way into some reps in left field. None of that group made much of an offensive impact last season. It’s certainly possible Texas looks to augment the group with a more established veteran in a midseason trade — particularly if they’re in the playoff hunt by July — but they figure to mix and match out there in the season’s early going.
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