Robbie Grossman played one season for AJ Hinch in Houston in 2015, but the outfield has a lot of respect for former manager Astros. So when the new Tigers commander talked to him about coming to Detroit, Grossman listened. “I have spoken to him several times. Has left
“I have spoken to him several times. He told me which way you were going, “Grossman said in a video conference Wednesday afternoon with reporters. “I fully respect him for himself and for what he did and how he handles his business and just being a tiger.”
Hinch’s involvement was a reflection of what Grossman called the “aggressive” recruitment of the free agent, culminating on Tuesday in a two-year, $ 10 million contract. It’s the first multi-year deal the Tigers have finalized with a free agent since Justin Upton’s deal in January 2016. Hinch, Grossman said, was a “huge reason” he decided to sign.
“We got behind and talked a little bit about the team and our needs in the future,” Grossman said. “And they are all on board. I’m ready to start and I’m ready to go down to Lakeland. “
It’s not just familiarity. In many ways, Grossman agrees with the plan on how Hinch wants to improve on a range of Tigers who have led the league on strike for the past two years as he struggles to take walks. He brings the kind of tenacious beating to which Hinch has referred several times since his October 30 engagement.
Battman’s .252 career average doesn’t stand out, and .241’s average last year certainly didn’t. But his 21 walks in 51 games increased his base percentage to .344, while his eight home rounds and 12 doubles in the short season led to 130 OPS +.
“My ultimate goal is to have the quality of a bat, whether it’s a shot, a walk, a pitch-hit or a home run,” he said. “There are quality baseballs in baseball and there are bad bats, and the more quality bats you have, the better you are every night when you win a game.”
He is a different player than many might remember from his three years in Minnesota in 2016-18. His rise to power was a reflection of shooting the ball more often, which he acknowledges to A coach Darren Bush and former Astros teammate Jed Lowrie for helping him achieve.
“He came to me,” Grossman said of Bush, “and he said, ‘Hey, I saw how much you put into this. We know what kind of player you want to be. Here’s what you need to do to become who you want to be. ‘
“It simply came to our notice then. I had to use my legs more. I had to stay more balanced on the plate. I had to make my hands go linearly to the center field. And I kind of ran away with him. I want to be the best Major Leaguer I can have, and I keep growing and staying and learning as much as I can, multiplying as much as I can to become that way. “
While the Tigers set their sights on this free agent market by signing José Ureña last month, they quietly checked the outfield market from the start. Grossman was one of the outfielders at the top of their list, a 31-year-old replacement player with a record, but also a success that came out of one of the best seasons of his career.
He did not face the Tigers last year, but he is very successful against them. He is 8-for-27, with two rounds at home and six RBIs in front of his new teammate Matthew Boyd, who contacted him with a message Tuesday night to greet him in Detroit.
Grossman also played enough at Comerica Park to know what the atmosphere might be like when the team is doing well.
“My family has been to Detroit many times. I know what the team means to that city, “he said.
Put it all together and Grossman was sold.
“They were very aggressive when they told me I was a guy they really wanted,” Grossman said, “and that meant a lot to me. … It’s a privilege to be a free agent for six years and that the Tigers have trusted me so much and proved it. Now it’s my job to go there and earn it every day. “
Jason Beck has been covering the Tigers for MLB.com since 2002. Read Beck’s Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason.