Red Sox sign Niko Goodrum to a minor-league deal
The Red Sox will sign utilityman Niko Goodrum to a minor-league deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided.
The 30-year-old veteran has played all over the diamond during his big league career, with the exception of behind the dish at catcher. Goodrum gives the Red Sox versatility at the end of the bench if he makes the major league roster out of Spring Training.
The Atlanta native has spent six seasons in the majors, he has played for the Twins, Tigers and Astros organizations. Goodrum saw success during the 2018 and 2019 seasons where he hit 28 home runs and stealing 24 bags over that two-year stretch.
Since then he has struggled at the plate, slashing .184/.263/.335 while striking out 38.5% of the time in 2020. His 2021 season was better but not by much, slashing .214/.292/.359 while lowering his strikeout rate to 32.9%.
Goodrum played 15 games for the Astros last season but was optioned to the minors after an abysmal .116/.156/.163 and striking out in 51.1% of his plate appearances.
The switch-hitting Goodrum joined the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys and played well until a hamstring injury landed him on the injured list. Goodrum would rehab for two months and then was promoted back to the Space Cowboys. He was later designated for assignment and didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season.
While not a splashy move whatsoever, Goodrum could draw comparisons to the Rob Refsnyder MiLB deal he signed back in 2021. Like Refsnyder, Goodrum could present the Red Sox with depth and versatility options in 2023.
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.
