Has anything changed? Robbie Grossman

For the basics on Astros outfielder Robbie Grossman, check out Craig Goldstein's piece from last season here.

What has his performance been like?

Robbie Grossman was dealt from the Pirates to the Astros and was solid at AA last season. Although he didn't display a skill-set to be a true fantasy asset he did display some useful on-base skills with 77 BB and a .376 OBP. Grossman hit .266 with 10 HR and 13 SB for the season. He's got a little bit of pop but his stolen base total is a bit misleading because he was caught 11 times. He was hitting .324 with a .452 OBP and a couple of SB in 19 games at AAA this season.

What is his current status?

Grossman was called up by the Astros a few days ago and is getting a shot in center-field for them. He's 2/22 with 2 doubles and only 1 walk in his first 5 games but it's certainly too soon to judge his performance in MLB. Justin Maxwell will be out at least another month which means Grossman should get an extended look. He might be worth a pickup if you are desperate for an outfielder in an AL-only league and he's definitely someone who should be on your radar.

What can we expect moving forward?

Although he's not the most efficient base-stealer, if Grossman ends up getting the green light on the base-paths and starts stealing bases then he'll become much more intriguing. If he can carry over his on-base skills then he should be on first base a lot. In addition, he has been hitting leadoff against RHP which can potentially boost his value. Grossman can be compared to David Dejesus in some ways in terms of his fantasy value. He won't hit for as much average but each has limited power/speed and hit at the top of the order due to their on-base skills. If you play in a league that counts OBP or BB then definitely bump Grossman's value up a notch or two.

Here is an excerpt from a recent New York Times article which mentions Robbie Grossman and the Astros commitment to give their prospects a legitimate shot in MLB:

The important thing, Luhnow said, is to figure out which players are long-term keepers. When outfielder Justin Maxwell broke a bone in his hand last week, the team promoted Robbie Grossman, 23, to replace him. Luhnow acquired Grossman from Pittsburgh last July for starter Wandy Rodriguez, the last remaining member of the Astros' 2005 World Series team.

Grossman, who signed with Pittsburgh for $1 million as a sixth-round draft pick in 2008, is one of several young players once highly regarded who are receiving an extended look.

You can find that entire article here.