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Detroit Tigers trade Robbie Grossman to Atlanta Braves for LHP Kris Anglin
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- Detroit Tigers trade Robbie Grossman to Atlanta Braves for LHP Kris Anglin
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.
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This year's trade deadline is 6 p.m. 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.
Tigers left fielder Robbie Grossman (8) scores on a double by center fielder Riley Greene (not shown) in the fifth inning July 30, 2022 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Entering 2022, Grossman seemed to be a candidate for a short-term contract extension.
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He can play right and left field, has a career .348 on-base percentage 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 defend their World Series championship.
"I'm excited 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.
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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, selected 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).
Detroit Tigers left fielder Robbie Grossman fields a ground ball against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Comerica Park, Saturday, July 23, 2022.
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.
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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 epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers trade Robbie Grossman to Braves for prospect
