Robbie Grossman

[William Malone]

Robert Edward Grossman was born on September 16, 1989 in San Diego, California.

He was considered a first round pick in 2008 by several talent evaluators, but fell to the sixth round due to high signing bonus demands and a commitment to the University of Texas. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him, and paid him well above slot value to buy Grossman out of his college commitment. Baseball Prospectus ranked him as their 76th best prospect ahead of the 2012 season. He was traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline that year in a deal that sent veteran starter Wandy Rodriguez to Pittsburgh.

Grossman made his Major League debut for Houston on April 24, 2013. He played 63 games for the 111-loss Astros that season, slashing .268/.332/.370. The .332 on-base percentage was third on the team, trailing future Minnesota Twins teammate Jason Castro (.350) and L.J. Hoes (.337). Grossman slashed .233/.337/.333 in 103 games during the 2014 season, but was designated for assignment in 2015 after his performance cratered.

The Cleveland Indians singed Grossman to a minor league contract ahead of the 2016 campaign. He opted out of his contract on May 16th, and signed with the Twins. Minnesota added him to their big league roster on May 20th, and he went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run in his first game with the club. This sparked a nine game on-base streak to begin his Twins tenure. When that streak ended in his tenth game with the club, Grossman turned around and hit three doubles in his 11th game. He quickly became a bright spot for an otherwise dreadful team that lost 103 games, finishing the season with a .386 on-base percentage over 99 games.

Minnesota penciled in Grossman as their designated hitter on Opening Day in 2017, batting right between All-Star leadoff man Brian Dozier and super prospect Byron Buxton. He drew a bases loading walk in their Opening Day win over the Kansas City Royals, kick-starting another successful season. His .361 on-base percentage in 2017 was second on the team behind Joe Mauer (.384), and the Twins embarked on a 26 win year-to-year improvement. This got them to the AL Wild Card Game, where they fell to the New York Yankees. Grossman went 0-for-4 in the Wild Card Game, serving as the Twins designated hitter.

His role was expected to be smaller in 2018, after Minnesota signed Logan Morrison to provide some middle of the order power from the DH slot. This signing ultimately flopped, and Grossman was able to be a regular in the Twins lineup. He played 129 games that season, slashing .273/.367/.384.

The Twins added Nelson Cruz during the next off-season. This was a singing that did work, and Grossman left for the Oakland Athletics in free agency. He helped them reach the playoffs in 2019, going 2-for-4 in their Wild Card Game loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. He had a power surge with Oakland in 2020, hitting eight home runs with a career high .482 slugging percentage during the COVID shortened season. The Athletics were AL West champions, but lost to the Houston Astros in the ALDS.

Grossman signed a two year deal with the Detroit Tigers ahead of 2021, and he produced a solid 20-20 season in the first year of that contract. It's the only year of his career with double digit stolen bases. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline in 2022. While with the Braves, he platooned in left field with former Twins teammate Eddie Rosario.

The Texas Rangers signed Grossman to a one year deal ahead of the 2023 season. He slashed .238/.340/.394 for them in 115 regular season games. Grossman was just 2-for-19 with a walk during the postseason that year, starting five of the Rangers playoff games that fall. Texas won the World Series, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.

He began 2024 with the Chicago White Sox, but struggled. He wound up back on the Rangers, and then finished the season with the Kansas City Royals. Grossman was left off the Royals playoff roster. He is currently a free agent as of Opening Day in 2025.

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