MINNEAPOLIS – The Detroit Tigers made their first trade, just minutes after their last loss.
After Monday’s loss to the Twins, Tiger sent defensive player Robbie Grossman to the Atlanta Braves, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Tigers received in return left bowler Chris Anglin.
The trade deadline for this year is 6pm on Tuesday.
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“Detroit is going to be special for me,” Grossman said Monday. “This shirt will always be special to me. The group of players at this club, that relationship never leaves. You will always have a special place in my baseball career.”
Grossman, 32, is having the worst season of his 10-year career in the MLS. 205 hits key with two home runs, 23 RBIs, 38 walks and 90 strikes in 83 games (272 at bat). He’s in the final year of a two-year, $10 million contract.
Entering 2022, Grossman appears to be a candidate for a short-term contract extension.
However, he can play both right and left and has a bug-free streak of 440 games that cut just a few weeks ago. Now it aims to help the brave in the Eastern National League battle and defend the World Championship.
“I’m out to make a fresh start and do everything in my power to help the team win,” Grossman said. “I’ve enjoyed playing with the Tigers. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but that’s part of the job. I’m in the next chapter of my baseball career.”
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Last season, Grossman was one of the Tigers’ best players.
He hit .239 with 23 home runs, 98 walks and 155 strikes, for a .357 on base, in 156 games. He also stole 20 bases, becoming the seventh Tiger to reach 20 House Bros and 20 steals in a single season.
“I’m really happy for him,” said Tucker Barnhart. “He goes to a team in the playoffs. That’s where we all want to be. We want to be in situations where you play a meaningful game of baseball all along the field…I love the way he goes about his day. He’s the same guy every day, No matter if it’s going well or badly. That’s the highest level of flattery you can get as a baseball player, as an athlete.”
Drafted by the Braves in the 16th round of the 2021 draft from Howard College in Texas, Anglin has spent the 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 strikes across 52 runs in 17 games (11 starts). Tigers shooting coach Chris Vetter hired Anglin while working as a pitching coach at the University of Michigan.
Anglin isn’t in the Braves’ top 30, 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 player.
In this case, the Tigers accepted Grossman’s only offer. The organization wanted Grossman off the list to give more playing time to younger players, such as Akil Badu, Daz Cameron and Kerry Carpenter.
“It always feels weird to be traded,” Grossman said. “I’m going to miss this group of players. I’m going to miss the coaching staff. I’m going to miss the people in Detroit, the stadium. It’s part of that job, and I’m looking forward to my next semester.”
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