Rangers sign Robbie Grossman to 1-year deal reportedly worth $2M

The Texas Rangers added a veteran bat to their outfield mix, signing free-agent switch-hitter Robbie Grossman to a one-year contract, they announced Friday.

The deal will pay Grossman a base salary of $2 million and contains another $3 million in performance bonuses, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The Rangers moved left-hander Brett Martin to the 60-day injured list to make room for Grossman on the 40-man roster.

The 33-year-old instantly becomes a prime candidate to win the Rangers' left-field job out of spring training. Grossman's competition includes youngsters Bubba Thompson and Josh H. Smith and utility player Mark Mathias. The switch-hitter has seen more action against right-handed pitching during his career but owns a superior OPS (.790) against lefties.

While the other two outfield positions have some stability, left field has recently been a source of frustration for Texas. The team started 13 different players in left last year and finished 30th in total production at the position during each of the previous three seasons.

Grossman is coming off a down 2022 season split between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. He hit .209/.310/.311 with seven home runs over 129 games, and his 80 OPS+ was his lowest since 2019. However, Grossman provided value with the glove, tallying three defensive runs saved while splitting time at both corner outfield spots.

Over 10 big-league seasons with five teams, Grossman owns a lifetime .245/.346/.377 slash line with 80 home runs, 366 RBIs, and 63 stolen bases. Known for his on-base abilities, he's posted an OBP above .350 four times in his career. Grossman also holds the MLB record for consecutive errorless games in the outfield, playing flawless defense for 440 straight contests over a four-year stretch that ended last July.