The dream is dead.

According to Jon Heyman, the Texas Rangers have signed the 33-year-old right-handed batting outfield.

Robbie Grossman headed to Rangers. Big winter for them.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 17, 2023

Grossman would have been perfect for the Blue Jays. Not only does he mash left-handed pitching, but he’s also a switch hitter with significant power from the left side of the plate. I went into more detail in this article here.
So that begs the question, who fills that “left-handed pitching masher” void that the Blue Jays currently have?
Externally, there aren’t many options remaining. In fact, Jurickson Profar may be their only available option, as the switch-hitting second baseman/outfielder slashed .243/.331/.391 with 15 homers in 658 plate appearances in 2022. With the Padres, he finished with a 110 wRC+, the second highest of his career, and the highest in non-plague seasons. The two other notable free agents, Tyler Naquin and Kole Calhoun, both hit left-handed.
The internal options don’t look great on paper, as the Jays have many second baseman/outfielders in the minor leagues. The most notable player is Otto López, who slashed .297/.378/.415 in 391 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in 2022. While he only hit three home runs, López slashed .381/.452/.543 in 125 plate appearances against left-handed pitching with Buffalo.
Of course, the Jays could also trade for a player, similar to the Randal Grichuk deal in late March 2022. This trade saw them bring in Raimel Tapia, who gave them a left-handed batting outfielder option at the time.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Blue Jays do, but they’ll n …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation