The sell-off of the few remaining assets the White Sox have has begun.
This morning, the team announced that they traded OF Robbie Grossman to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league relief pitcher Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa. In a corresponding move, the club has also selected the contract of Zach Remillard. Remillard is batting .114/.192/.157 with 0 HR in 79 plate appearances in Triple-A this season.
Hoopii-Tuionetoa, 23 was drafted in the 30th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and is currently pitching in Double-A. He holds a 0.00 ERA with 16 Ks in 12.1 innings this season while pitching out of the bullpen. Last year, he held a 2.96 ERA in 24.1 innings between Rookie Ball, Single-A, and High-A. He is not currently ranked in the top 30 prospects for the Texas Rangers.
In November 2023, He was ranked as one of the “30 intriguing Rule 5 Draft options — 1 for each team” by MLB.com. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Sam Dykstra said the following about him:
“Hoopii-Tuionetoa impressed in the Arizona Fall League, not allowing a run in nine regular-season appearances while working with a 94-99 mph fastball and a hard slider. A 30th-round pick out of Pierce (Wash.) CC in 2019, he missed the first half of this season with non-structural shoulder issues before recording a 2.96 ERA, a .204 opponent average, and a 25/7 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and two Class A stops.”
The White Sox traded OF Robbie Grossman, who signed a minor league contract in March of this year. Grossman is slashing .211/.329/.268 with 0 HR in 85 plate appearances this year. This is a reunion for Grossman who won the World Series with the Rangers last year.
To turn 89 plate appearances into an intriguing young arm is about all the White Sox could expect for Grossman’s services. Remillard’s inclusion on the roster could mean Luis Robert Jr. is closer to being ready than anticipated, and the White Sox simply used this spot as a temporary filler until Robert is ready to go.
For now, the White Sox have one less veteran outfielder on the roster.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more throughout the season!
Featured Image: MLB Pipeline / Twitter
