MLB trade grades: Rangers bring back familiar face as part of White Sox fire sale

The fire sale for the Chicago White Sox is underway. Come one, come all!

After shipping 22-year-old infielder Jose Rodriguez to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations roughly a month ago, the White Sox are now sending veteran outfielder and offseason free-agent signing Robbie Grossman to the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

As Heyman points out, the Rangers "re-acquire" Grossman, who played for Texas in 2023 and contributed to their championship run. Now, he will return to Arlington with hopes of helping them defend their title.

The Rangers wasted no time welcoming Grossman back in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing that they traded minor league right-handed relief pitcher Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa in exchange for his services.

Let's assess how both teams fared in this transaction without further ado.

MLB trade grades: Rangers bring back familiar face as part of White Sox fire sale

From Texas' perspective, this move makes a ton of sense. Hoopii-Tuionetoa has been a part of their farm system since 2021 but has yet to crack the major league roster -- turning him into a tangible asset who can contribute to their pennant race in the form of Grossman.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa has a 4.54 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts in 112.2 innings pitched throughout his cumulative minor league career thus far and has failed to reach the Triple-A yet, suggesting he will likely see minimal opportunity this year, even in Chicago.

Now, they bring in Grossman, a familiar face who will get an immediate opportunity in the lineup, while left fielder/designated hitter Wyatt Langford is on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. However, he has struggled from the plate this season, batting .211/.329/.268 with zero home runs and four RBIs across 85 plate appearances. But Grossman has proven he can positively impact a contending club, as evidenced by his efforts in 2023.

For the White Sox, this move marks an official waving of the white flag for an 8-28 squad with an eye toward next year. Keeping a 34-year-old like Grossman on the roster does nothing for them. Instead, Chicago is taking a flier on a young relief pitcher and hoping to unlock any untapped potential Hoopii-Tuionetoa may have. Ranking 27th in cumulative WHIP (1.442) and 28th in ERA (4.99), bringing in a young arm can't hurt.

Chicago White Sox trade grade: B+ | Texas Rangers trade grade: A-