MINNEAPOLIS — The Detroit Tigers have made their first trade, just minutes after their latest loss.
After Monday’s loss to the Twins, the Tigers sent outfielder Robbie Grossman to the Atlanta Braves, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The Tigers received left-handed pitcher Kris Anglin in return.
This year’s trade deadline is 6 pm Tuesday.
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“Detroit will always be special to me,” Grossman said Monday. “This jersey will always be special to me. The group of guys in this clubhouse, that relationship never leaves. It will always be a special place in my baseball career.”
Grossman, 32, is suffering the worst season of his 10-year MLB career. The switch-hitter is batting .205 with two home runs, 23 RBIs, 38 walks and 90 strikeouts in 83 games (272 at-bats). He is in the final year of a two-year, $10 million contract.
Entering 2022, Grossman appeared to be a candidate for a short-term contract extension.
Still, he can play right and left field and had a 440-game errorless streak snapped just a few weeks ago. He now aims to help the Braves battle for the National League East and defending their World Series championship.
“I’m exited to get a new start and do whatever I can to help the team win,” Grossman said. “I had a blast playing for the Tigers. It didn’t end how I wanted it to, but that’s part of this business. I’m onto the next chapter in my baseball career.”
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Last season, Grossman was one of the best players for the Tigers.
He hit .239 with 23 home runs, 98 walks and 155 strikeouts, posting a .357 on-base percentage, in 156 games. He also stole 20 bases, becoming the seventh Tiger to reach 20 homers and 20 steals in a single season.
“I’m really happy for him,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “He’s going to a team that’s in the playoff race. That’s where we all want to be. We want to be in situations where you’re playing meaningful baseball down the stretch. … I love the way he goes about his day. He’s the same guy every day, no matter if he’s going good or going bad. That’s the highest level of compliment you can get as a baseball player, as an athlete.”
Anglin, drafted by the Braves in the 16th round of the 2021 draft out of Howard College in Texas, has spent this season in the Florida Complex League (five games) and with Single-A Augusta (12 games).
The 20-year-old has a 4.64 ERA with 26 walks and 56 strikeouts across 52⅓ innings in 17 games (11 starts). Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter recruited Anglin while serving as the University of Michigan’s pitching coach.
Anglin is not listed among the Braves’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, but due to Grossman’s poor production, the Tigers were forced to accept the best offer they could get for the veteran outfielder.
In this case, the Tigers accepted the only offer for Grossman. The organization wanted to get Grossman off the roster to give more playing time to younger players, such as Akil Baddoo, Daz Cameron and Kerry Carpenter.
“It’s always a weird feeling to be traded,” Grossman said. “I’ll miss this group of guys. I’ll miss the coaching staff. I’ll miss the people in Detroit, the stadium. It’s part of this business, and I’m looking forward to my next chapter.”
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.
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