In the first of many trades this year, the White Sox dealt veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman to the Texas Rangers for pitching prospect Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa yesterday morning. The trade came out of nowhere, and it is unusual to see the White Sox pull the trigger on a trade this early into the season. However, after taking a deeper look into the deal, Chris Getz made a savvy move to complete this trade when he did.
Grossman’s Résumé And Track Record
A veteran of 12 MLB seasons, Grossman has played for seven teams and has generally been productive at every stop. He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox on March 22nd of this year, and the team selected his contract a couple of weeks later. Despite his track record, Grossman was not all that great with the White Sox. He hit just .211/.329/.268 in 85 plate appearances over 25 games. While Grossman has a history of being above average, that was not the case in Chicago. On the surface, it is surprising that any team would have even wanted him.
Rangers Need For An Outfielder
However, circumstances change as the season goes on. Injuries will always play a role in roster dynamics and trade discussions. That was a factor here. Promising young Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford went on the injured list with a hamstring strain a few days ago and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Even though he had not performed well, his injury still represented a significant loss in Texas’ lineup.
Additionally, the Rangers’ lack of production against left-handed pitchers has been a problem all season long. They are slashing just .244/.301/.359 against lefties this season compared to .263/.337/.417 against right-handers. Langford’s injury and their struggles against lefties created a need for another bat, and the White Sox had exactly who they wanted.
Grossman has a reputation for crushing left-handed pitchers, and that was the case even in Chicago. In a small sample of 23 plate appearances against left-handers this season, Grossman is slashing .333/.435/.444 with two doubles and a .879 OPS. Grossman was also on the Rangers World Series winning team last season, so he already has familiarity with the team and their clubhouse dynamics. A reunion with Grossman made all the sense in the world for Texas, both from a production and roster fit standpoint.
Trade From The White Sox Perspective
From the White Sox perspective, cashing in on Grossman made all the sense in the world, too. They signed him off the street just over a month ago, and a team with a 9-28 record does not need a 34-year-old outfielder who will not be on the roster next season. Grossman was expendable, and they were able to flip him for a potential long-term solution out of the bullpen.
A 23-year-old right-hander, Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa has been excellent in AA this season and immediately slotted into the White Sox’s top 30 prospect list per MLB.com. While prospect rankings are subjective, Hoopii-Tuionetoa has legitimately good stuff and could be a piece of the puzzle in the White Sox bullpen sooner rather than later. He has not allowed a run in ten appearances this season and has 16 strikeouts in just 12.1 innings. If he keeps this up, we could see Hoopii-Tuionetoa in Chicago before the end of the season.
Final Word
In the long term, this trade will likely not move the needle much in either direction. Pitching prospects are far from sure things, and Hoopii-Tuionetoa is strictly a reliever. That said, turning a placeholder player in Grossman into a lottery ticket arm is a trade the White Sox should make every day and twice on Sunday, given where the team is now. The Rangers suddenly needed an outfielder who hit left-handed pitchers, and Chris Getz got the deal done involving one of his guys. There is no downside in a trade like this for the White Sox. We will hopefully see more trades for young talent like this one over the next few months.
Getz, Grossman, G ___ . Helping each other out?
This team is a laughing stock. There’s nothing savvy about that or anyone in their organization.
I guess you have to write something about this team.