Tag: niko goodrum

Red Sox’ Niko Goodrum earns International League Player of the Week honors

Red Sox minor-league infielder Niko Goodrum has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of June 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Goodrum had a strong week for Triple-A Worcester in its latest series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park. Starting all six games, the switch-hitting 31-year-old went 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with four doubles, one home run, four RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and six strikeouts to close out the first half of the minor-league season. That one homer came on Tuesday, which also happened to be his daughter’s second birthday.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Goodrum has batted .279/.443/.428 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 47 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 63 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 63 games (280 plate appearances) for the WooSox. His 22.5 percent walk rate ranks first among qualified International League hitters, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Goodrum has put up these numbers while seeing playing time at four different positions for Worcester. The versatile 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has logged 243 innings at first base, 171 1/3 innings at second base, and exactly 100 innings at third base. He also made one start in right field back on May 18.

A veteran of six major-league seasons between the Twins, Tigers, and Astros, Goodrum signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in December. Though he did not make Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, he has fared well in Worcester and has made a positive impact in the clubhouse as well.

Bobby Dalbec said as much in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, noting that Goodrum pulled him aside in between a doubleheader earlier this season and “kind of showed me something on my swing path and it was very clear to me.”

WooSox manager Chad Tracy, meanwhile, had glowing reviews for Goodrum’s approach at the plate when speaking with MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day back in late April.

“He’s a pro, very professional,” Tracy said. “He swings at strikes, gets deep in counts, manages at-bats, foul things off. You’re watching a guy who has played in the big leagues for a while. He’s got a plan of what he’s trying to do when he goes in there and sticks to it.”

According to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Goodrum can opt out of his contract on July 1 (this Saturday) if he has not yet been added to the Red Sox’ active roster. Given how he has performed as of late, the odds have him opting out in order to find a better opportunity elsewhere have likely increased.

(Picture of Niko Goodrum: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign Niko Goodrum to minor-league deal, invite 5 others to spring training

The Red Sox have signed infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum to a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, the club announced on Wednesday. The deal, which was first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray, includes an invite to major-league spring training.

Goodrum, 30, spent the better part of the 2022 season with the Astros after signing a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the club back in March. The switch-hitter went 5-for-43 (.116) with two doubles, one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and 23 strikeouts in 15 games for Houston before being optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in mid-May.

With the Space Cowboys, Goodrum batted .310/.500/.524 with three doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, 12 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and 12 strikeouts over 12 games (58 plate appearances). He was placed on the seven-day injured list with an undisclosed injury on June 7 and only appeared in one more game for Sugar Land on August 17. In early September, the Astros designated Goodrum for assignment and released him after he cleared waivers.

A native of Georgia, Goodrum was originally selected by the Twins in the second round of the 2010 amateur draft out of Fayette County High School. After seven years in the minor-leagues, he made his major-league debut for Minnesota towards the tail end of the 2017 campaign. He was released by the Twins that November but quickly landed on his feet by inking a minors pact with the Tigers.

Goodrum made Detroit’s Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2018 end enjoyed some moderate success in his first two seasons in the Motor City. From 2018-2019, he slashed .247/.319/.427 (98 wRC+) with 56 doubles, eight triples, 28 homers, 98 runs driven in, 116 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 88 walks, and 270 strikeouts across 243 total games spanning 964 trips to the plate.

While Goodrum’s first two seasons with the Tigers were productive, his final two were not. From 2020-2021, he compiled a .203/.282/.350 slash line (75 wRC+) to go along with 18 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 47 walks, and 176 strikeouts over 133 total games (504 plate appearances). Detroit non-tendered Goodrum last November, which gave him the opportunity join the Astros.

Although he has struggled at the plate in recent years, Goodrum has proven to be quite the versatile defender over the course of his six-year big-league career. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has past experience at every position besides pitcher and catcher. As far as the metrics are concerned, shortstop may be his best position.

Goodrum, who turns 31 in February, should provide the Red Sox with both infield and outfield depth as a utility man at Triple-A Worcester next season. For his career at the Triple-A level, Goodrum is a lifetime .261/.325/.409 hitter with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs in 154 games.

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To go along with Goodrum, the Red Sox added five other players to their 2023 spring training roster as non-roster invitees on Wednesday. Right-hander Norwith Gudino and left-gander Oddanier Mosqueda, catchers Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez, and outfielder Narciso Crook were all extended invitations as well.

Gudino, 27, signed a minor-league deal with Boston earlier this month after spending the first eight years of his professional career in the Giants organization.

Mosqueda, 23, was re-signed to a minors pact in November after originally signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2015.

Hamilton, 27, and Hernandez, 25, were already in the organization but were outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster after clearing waivers at different points this winter.

Crook, 27, inked a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in late November after making his major-league debut with the Cubs over the summer. He went 2-for-8 (.250) with a double and two RBIs in four games for the North Siders.

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The Red Sox will continue to add more invitees to their spring training roster before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers in mid-February.

(Picture of Niko Goodrum: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)