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Robbie Grossman only played one season for AJ Hinch in Houston in 2015, but the outfielder has a ton of respect for the former Astros coach. So when the new Tigers skipper told him about coming to Detroit, Grossman listened. “I spoke to him several times. He leaves
“I spoke to him several times. He let me know which direction you are heading, ”Grossman said in a video conference with reporters Wednesday afternoon. “I have the greatest respect for him, for what he did and for the way he went about his business and that he was just a tiger.
Hinch’s involvement was a reflection of what Grossman called an “aggressive” recruiting of the free agent, resulting in a two-year, $ 10 million contract on Tuesday. This is the first multi-year deal the Tigers have made with a free agent since Justin Upton’s deal in January 2016. Hinch, Grossman said, was a “huge reason” he decided to sign.
“We caught up and we talked a bit about the team and our needs and moving forward,” Grossman said. “And I’m totally on board. I am ready to start and ready to descend to Lakeland. “
It’s not just familiarity. In many ways, Grossman fits the blueprint for how Hinch wants to improve on a Tigers lineup that has led the league in strikeouts for the past two years while struggling to draw steps. He brings the kind of stubborn bats Hinch has referred to several times since he was hired on October 30.
Grossman’s .252 career batting average doesn’t stand out, and his .241 average last year certainly doesn’t. But his 21 steps in 51 games pushed his base percentage to 0.344, while his eight homers and 12 doubles in the shortened season resulted in 130 OPS +.
“My ultimate goal is to have batting quality, whether it’s getting a hit, walking, hitting a ball or hitting a home run,” he said. “There are quality bats in baseball and there are bad balls, and the more quality bats you have, the better off you are every night to win a game.”
He’s a different hitter than the one many remember from his three years in Minnesota in 2016-18. His rise to power reflected shooting the ball more often, which he credits to A coach Darren Bush and former Astros teammate Jed Lowrie for helping him succeed.
“He came up to me,” Grossman said of Bush, “and said,“ Hey, we’ve seen how much you’ve invested. We know the kind of player you want to be. Here’s what you need to do to become who you want to be.
“He really broke it down to the simplest thing for me. I had to use my legs more. I had to stay more balanced on the plate. I had to make my hands linear to the central field. And I kind of ran with it. I want to be the best major leaguer I can be, and I keep growing and staying and learning as much as I can, absorbing as much as I can to become that.
While the Tigers made their priority in this market free agents, signing José Ureña last month, they quietly settled in the foreign market from the start. Grossman was one of the top offsets on their list, a 31-year-old switch-hitter with a track record, but also with an advantage coming from one of the best seasons of his career.
He didn’t face the Tigers last year, but he’s had a lot of success against them. He’s 8-for-27 with two homers and six RBIs on new teammate Matthew Boyd, who contacted him with a text Tuesday night to welcome him to Detroit.
Grossman has also played enough at Comerica Park to know what an atmosphere it can be when the team is doing well.
“My family has been to Detroit several times. I know what the team represents for this city, ”he said.
Put it all together, and Grossman was sold.
“They were very aggressive in letting me know 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 over six years old, and for the Tigers to trust me so much, and they’ve proven it. Now it’s my job to go out there and earn it everyday.
Jason Beck has covered the Tigers for MLB.com since 2002. Read Beck’s blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason.
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