Robbie Grossman

Grossman was an attractive low-cost option coming into the 2021 season given he had flashed talent and was finally projected for an everyday job. Landing in Detroit provided the perfect opportunity for him to show he is more than simply an OBP machine, and boy did he. Detroit left him near the top of lineup all season, and the former strong-side platoon guy went out and posted a 20-20 season with 88 runs scored. He gave up a little contact to lean into the power numbers, and could do so again this season as he will be playing for a new deal. His future value is in his bat because he has his issues in the field, and he is no longer a fantasy secret this year. Whereas he went outside the top 350 last year, he could go inside the top 150 this year. Given the lack of a track record in anything but his OBP skills, you'd be wise to let someone else reach for Grossman, but look to pounce should your league fade him.

Grossman was an entirely ordinary player for the first seven years of his career, as the combination of a slightly above-average 102 wRC+ and below-average defense in the outfield corners left him as either a sub-par regular or a fine bench option. Heading into his age-30 campaign last season and coming off a year in which he'd hit just .240/.334/.348, he was a complete afterthought during draft season. He wound up with quite an effective year, however, hitting .241/.344/.482 (good for a 126 wRC+, just shy of his career high of 127) while grabbing eight homers and eight steals in 51 games. Despite his career-best 89 mph exit velocity, however, Statcast remained largely unmoved by his power, with his .398 xSLG suggesting he overachieved by quite a bit. The Tigers brought him in on a two-year deal, which should give Grossman the playing time to compile enough steals and R+RBI to be a mixed-league bench option.

After three years in Minnesota, Grossman transitioned to the West Coast in 2019, joining Oakland on a one-year contract. The change of scenery did little to alter his profile as a light-hitting, poor-fielding fantasy non-entity. Grossman's 88 wRC+ was the lowest of his career while his .107 ISO placed sixth-worst in the league among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances. Usually effective against lefties (he entered the campaign with a .286 career average against southpaws), the switch-hitter inexplicably totaled only 58 plate appearances from the right side of the plate last season, registering a paltry .173 average. Grossman's saving grace is his ability to take a walk -- his 12.2 BB% was again considerably above league average -- but that doesn't do much for his fantasy value, especially considering the fact that he's yet to reach double-digit steals in a big-league season.

Grossman has impressive on-base skills, but his poor glove mostly limits him to DH where he hasn't displayed enough power to warrant a regular role. His 12.9% walk rate ranked 27th in the majors among hitters with at least 450 PA, leading to a .367 OBP. However, he adds just modest power (career .122 ISO). Grossman began last season stuck on the bench and struggled (.636 OPS through May), but turned his year around in the second half with more regular playing time after several Twins starters got hurt. Grossman had an .886 OPS the final two months of the season. He was non-tendered this offseason. In the right situation he could be productive in a platoon (career 147 wRC+ against LHP), but his poor defense will limit his playing time.

Grossman was the surprise winner of the Twins’ DH job last spring, and while his impressive on-base skills give him a relatively high floor, he lacks the impact potential typically associated with that position. His 14.7 percent walk rate ranked seventh in the majors among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances, leading to .361 OBP, which ranked 46th out of 181 hitters. However, he adds just modest power (career .125 ISO) and also declined in the second half of last season (.699 OPS). In addition to his below-average power, he also happens to be a below-average defensive outfielder. Essentially, his bat doesn’t play at DH and his glove doesn’t play anywhere. The switch hitter has a career 109 wRC+ against lefties, so if the Twins decide to relegate Max Kepler (career 36 wRC+ against southpaws) to a strict platoon, Grossman could start in the outfield against lefties. However, given his defensive deficiencies, the front office probably won’t be satisfied with that setup for long.

Grossman had the most productive offensive season of his big league career last year (.280/.386/.443), and while his .364 BABIP and 12.8 percent HR/FB are well above his career norms, his career-high 14.1 walk rate was a mark in his favor. He was a liability in the outfield however, with a minus-15.2 ultimate zone rating and minus-21 defensive runs saved. Grossman also offers little speed for fantasy purposes. He should open the year on the short side of a left field platoon with Eddie Rosario, as he had a .994 OPS against left-handed pitching, continuing a sharp career platoon split. This should lead to a decline in playing time compared to 2016, especially with a new regime in place that will want to focus on developing the Twins' young core, meaning everyday at-bats for Byron Buxton and Max Kepler.

Grossman endured his second straight brutal start to the season in 2015, hitting a mere .143 with a .222 OBP over 24 games for the Astros as the team's fourth outfielder. His poor performance earned him a ticket back to Triple-A in May, which is where he spent the rest of the year while Houston employed Preston Tucker in the role of fourth outfielder. Grossman's production was still below average for the Fresno Grizzlies, with a .325 wOBA and 93 wRC+ over 93 games. He was released by the Astros after the season and then signed to a minor league deal with the Indians. This is certainly a better opportunity for him to find playing time, as the Indians outfield is a mess. However, Grossman has not done anything of late to suggest that he would provide value if given a significant role.

A strong second-half in 2013 (.322 batting average) and a hot spring (.360) had the Astros raving about Grossman's potential, but a brutal start to 2014, during which the 25-year-old hit .125 with 17 strikeouts in 48 at-bats, resulted in a quick demotion to Triple-A. The switch-hitting outfielder turned things around with a .337 batting average in 44 minor league games, but struggled yet again upon his eventual return to Houston. Overall, Grossman hit .233/.337/.333 in 360 big league at-bats (103 games). His elite walk rate (13%) is certainly a plus, but his speed and power are still below average. Coming off a down season offensively, Grossman will have to be a standout in Astros camp to beat out Jake Marisnick (among others) for the starting job in left field. Most likely, he'll open 2015 as the team's fourth or fifth outfielder.

Early season injuries to Justin Maxwell and J.D. Martinez opened the door for Grossman to step in and contribute for the Astros, but the rookie struggled during his initial audition with the team. In 28 games as the starting center fielder, he hit .198/.310/.243 before he was sent back down to Triple-A to sort things out offensively. When Grossman returned to Houston in late July, he looked like a completely different player, immediately ripping off a 10-game hit streak en-route to a .322/.351/.466 line over his final 35 games. An oblique injury ended his season in September, but the switch-hitting outfielder likely proved himself enough to be considered for a starting role out of spring training.

The Astros picked up Grossman from the Pirates as part of the Wandy Rodriguez deal. The 23-year-old outfielder has a knack for getting on base, posting a .266/.376/.410 line over his two Double-A stops. Grossman is most known for that exceptional plate discipline, and while he has subpar power potential, he runs well enough to partially offset the deficit. With Jordan Schafer back in Atlanta, Grossman should eventually get a chance to show what he can do in center field. For now, however, he will likely bide his time in Triple-A waiting for the call.

Grossman provided the Arizona Fall League with one of its most electric performances (hitting .375/.472/.625 in 26 games) before breaking his hamate bone. During the 2011 campaign, the switch-hitting outfielder compiled a slash line of .293/.418/.450 in 134 games with High-A Bradenton. He scored 127 runs, strung together a 104:111 BB:K ratio and swiped 24 bases in 34 attempts. Grossman, who is expected to move up to Double-A for the first time, figures to be ready for spring training -- with the caveat that his power might initially suffer due to his hand injury. A strong start could push him to Pittsburgh by September, but he's still behind the likes of Starling Marte in the pecking order. His plate discipline alone gives him a chance to find regular work in the big leagues.