Robbie Grossman only played one season for AJ Hinch in Houston in 2015, but the outfielder has enormous respect for the former Astros manager. So when the new Tigers skipper spoke to him about coming to Detroit, Grossman listened. ‘I talked to him a few times. He lets
‘I talked to him a few times. He let me know which direction you are headed, ”Grossman said on a Wednesday afternoon video conference with reporters. “I have the utmost respect for him and for what he has done and how he goes about his business and just being a tiger.”
Hinch’s involvement reflected what Grossman called an “aggressive” recruitment of the free agent that culminated in a two-year $ 10 million contract on Tuesday. It is the first multi-year deal the Tigers have struck with a free agent since Justin Upton’s deal in January 2016. Hinch, Grossman said, was one “big reason” he decided to sign.
“We walked in and we talked a little bit about the team and our needs and the future,” said Grossman. ‘And I’m completely on board. I am ready to get started and ready to go to Lakeland. “
It’s not just familiarity. In many ways, Grossman fits the blueprint of how Hinch wants to improve on a Tigers lineup that has led the league with strikeouts for the past two years as he struggled to take walks. He brings the kind of stubborn bee-bats that Hinch has referred to multiple times since his October 30 appointment.
Grossman’s .252 average batting average doesn’t stand out, and his .241 average last year certainly isn’t. But his 21 walks in 51 games increased his on-base percentage to 0.344, while his eight home runs and 12 doubles in the shortened season resulted in a 130 OPS +.
“My ultimate goal is to have a good quality at bat, be it a hit, walking, getting hit by a pitch or hitting a home run,” he said. “There are quality bats in baseball and there are bad at-bats, and the more good at-bats you have, the better you win a game every night.”
He’s a different hitter than the one many may remember from his three years in Minnesota from 2016-18. His growth in power was a reflection of his more frequent pulling on the ball, something he attributes to A’s offensive coach, Darren Bush and former Astros team-mate Jed Lowrie, for helping him perform.
“He came up to me,” Grossman said of Bush, “and said,“ Hey, we’ve seen how much you put into this. We know what kind of player you want to be. This is what you have to do to become who you want to be. ‘
He really broke it down to the simplest for me. I had to use my legs more. I had to stay more balanced on the plate. I had to let my hands go linearly to midfield. And I just ran with it. I want to be the best Major Leaguer I can be, and I keep growing and staying and staying and learning as much as I can, record as much as possible to become that. “
While the Tigers made pitching their priority in this free-agents market by signing José Ureña last month, they quietly checked into the outfield market early on. Grossman was one of the outfielders at the top of their list, a 31-year-old switch-hitter with a track record but also an upside that came from one of the best seasons of his career.
He didn’t face the Tigers last year, but he has a lot of success against them. He is 8-for-27 with two home runs and six RBI’s off new teammate Matthew Boyd, who contacted him on Tuesday-evening with a text to welcome him to Detroit.
Grossman has also played enough at Comerica Park to know what the atmosphere can be when the team is going well.
“My family has been to Detroit many times. I know what the team means to that city, ”he said.
All in all, and Grossman was hooked.
“They were very aggressive in letting me know that I was a man they really wanted,” said Grossman, “and that meant a lot to me … It’s a privilege to be a free agent of over six years old. and that the Tigers had so much faith in me, and they proved it. Now it’s my job to get out there and earn it every day. “
Jason Beck has covered the Tigers for MLB.com since 2002. Read Beck’s Blog and follow him on Twitter @BeckJason.