A lot can happen in the span of seven years. Just ask former Toronto Blue Jays first-round draft pick Jordan Groshans.
Since he was taken with the 12th overall pick in 2018 out of high school in the state of Texas, Groshans has played 560 professional games, including just 17 at the major league level. He’s played for five different organizations, and last year, he was buried deep on the Kansas City Royals’ organizational roster.
However, late last week, Groshans joined his sixth affiliated ballclub, and he has to be hoping this is the year he gets back to the majors for the first time since 2022.
According to the transactions log on his official roster page, Groshans signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The 26-year-old is not on the 40-man roster and was initially assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
One of the major recent storylines around Atlanta, of course, was shortstop Ha-Seong Kim needing finger surgery and missing the first few months of the season. One has to imagine that domino falling led to signing Groshans in some capacity.
Groshans doesn’t project to be Kim’s replacement on the active roster. That distinction belongs to Jorge Mateo, who signed a major league deal with the Braves on Jan. 20. But when a starter hits the injured list, sometimes the strength of the organization lies in the number of potential replacements it can line up.
Last season, Groshans slashed .284/.360/.362 in 68 games, spread across Double-A and Triple-A. He’s never hit more than seven home runs in a minor-league season, but he’s a decent contact hitter who isn’t afraid to draw walks.
Groshans’ brief major league stint came with the Miami Marlins in 2022. He’s also played in the Athletics and New York Yankees organizations.
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