Rangers fans perplexed by team persisting with underperforming Robbie Grossman for ALDS opener - "Does he have blackmail on Bochy?"
The Texas Rangers will travel to Baltimore on Saturday for their highly anticipated series versus the Orioles. The two teams combined for 191 wins this year and have a plethora of talent on both the offensive and defensive sides.
The Rangers released their lineup card for the opening game and some Texas fans were not happy with what they saw. As expected, Marcus Semien will leadoff and Corey Seager will bat second. Veteran manager Bruce Bochy has decided to stick with Robbie Grossman in the number three position.
The decision to have Grossman hit third, one of the most important positions in the lineup, is a peculiar one. The 34-year-old outfielder has struggled at the plate of late. In the club's two games versus the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Series, Grossman finished 1-9, struck out four times and failed to score a run. His only hit was a single off Zach Eflin.
Rangers fans took to social media to vent their frustrations after their manager chose to stick with Grossman for the biggest game of the season:
Texas has one of the strongest batting lineups in the league. The club has relied heavily on their offense throughout the season.
Over the regular season, the Rangers' 881 runs ranked first in the American League and third in the majors behind the Atlanta Braves (947) and Los Angeles Dodgers (906).
The decision to stick with veteran outfielder Grossman is a strange move considering the club has a long list of talented hitters.
The Rangers signed Robbie Grossman to a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season
Grossman is one of the older players in the lineup and has postseason experience under his belt. Over an 11-year MLB career, he has played in 1126 regular season games and 12 playoff games.
The veteran has played for the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, and Detroit Tigers. The Rangers signed Grossman to a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season to provide some cover in the outfield.
This season, Grossman slashed .238/.340/.394 over 115 regular season games. He recorded 10 home runs, 49 RBIs, 84 hits and 56 runs.
Texas will hope that Grossman can work his way out of this mini-slump. The Orioles are one of the most complete teams in baseball and there will be little room for error in this series.