Padres sign utility player Nico Goodrum According to the trade log on his MLB.com profile page, the deal was a minor league deal. The deal could include an invitation to major league spring training.
Goodrum, who turns 33 next month, has played parts of seven MLB seasons so far. Goodrum, a second-round pick by the Twins in 2010 who made his major league debut with Minnesota in 2017, was removed from the club’s 40-man roster and ultimately signed with the division rival Tigers for the 2017-18 season. signed a minor league deal this offseason. The trade proved to be a huge success for Detroit, with Goodrum becoming a reliable versatile guy for the club over the next four seasons. From 2018 to 2021, Goodrum hit a respectable .232/.306/.401 (90 wRC+) in 376 games. During that time, he scrimmaged in all three outfield positions except first base, second base, third base and even shortstop, earning 6.3 fWAR.
Unfortunately, Goodrum’s production began to decline in his later years in Detroit, and he hit just .203/.282/.350 in his final 504 games with the club. This led to the Tigers completely removing him from the 40-man roster in the 2021-22 offseason, allowing him to return to free agency. Goodrum has not found steady major league work since leaving Detroit, although he has been involved stateside for the past three years. He spent the 2022 season with the Astros, but injuries limited him to 35 games between the majors and minors. Goodrum joined the Red Sox in the 2023 season and played 65 games with Triple-A Worcester and performed well. This earned him a chance to play in the Korean KBO League in the second half, where he hit .295/.373/.387 in 50 games with the Lotte Giants.
Goodrum returned stateside in 2024, traveling between six different organizations throughout the year. Goodrum originally signed with the Twins on a minor league deal during the 2023-24 offseason, but after not making the club’s 40-man roster, he was traded to the Rays and earned a roster spot in Tampa. Throughout the year, Goodrum bounced between the Rays, Angels and Pirates, eventually passing through waivers and selecting free agency, and signing a minor league deal with the Orioles. Goodrum failed to reach the major league level in 2024, posting a slash line of just .103/.188/.103 in the majors despite a sample size of just 33 games. Goodrum’s triple-A numbers were much stronger, slashing .284/.375/.460 in 243 at-bats in 60 games for the Rays, Angels and Orioles affiliates.
Now, Goodrum is in San Diego continuing on with his seventh organization from last year. The Padres face a severe budget crunch this winter and are severely lacking position depth after losing Jurikson Profal, Kim Ha Sung, Donovan Solanoand David Peralta Become a free agent. While Goodrum has struggled to be an impact bat even at his best years, if the Padres enter the season without a more reliable solution to their lackluster outfield mix, the veteran The versatile guy’s versatility could be a big asset to the Padres off the bench this year.
