Veteran infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum, who opted out of a deal with the Red Sox last week, has signed with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). He’ll be paid $400K for the remainder of the season. Goodrum, a client of Roc Nation Sports, will take the roster spot of former Dodgers and Rangers outfielder Zach Reks, who was cut loose after a knee injury tanked his 2023 season.
The 31-year-old Goodrum is a veteran of six Major League seasons who debuted with the Twins back in 2017. The switch-hitter has since spent time in Detroit and Houston, logging a combined .226/.299/.389 batting line in 1531 plate appearances between the three teams. The versatile Goodrum was particularly productive in 2018-19, when he played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions for the Tigers while posting a combined .247/.318/.427 slash with 28 homers and 24 steals in 964 plate appearances.
Goodrum’s 2023 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester was excellent. In 286 trips to the plate, he batted .280/.448/.440 with eight home runs, seven steals and a staggering 23.1% walk rate. Statcast credits Goodrum as a plus defender at both middle infield positions and a passable option in the outfield as well.
With a strong showing in the KBO, it’s possible Goodrum could sign on for another season in South Korea or perhaps head to Japan’s NPB. He’d have seven-figure earning power in either league, though it’s also possible he’ll look to parlay this year’s strong Triple-A showing and a (hopefully) similar level of production in the KBO into a guaranteed big league deal as a free agent next winter.
As for the 29-year-old Reks, he joined the Giants last year as a midseason replacement much as Goodrum is doing now. The 2017 tenth-rounder (Dodgers) hit .330/.410/.495 in 56 games and 251 plate appearances down the stretch, earning himself a $1.2MM guarantee to return ($1MM salary plus $200K signing bonus), but this year’s knee injury left him with a tepid .246/.338/.345 output in a similar sample size to his 2022 showing. Reks is a career .290/.388/.537 hitter in parts of three Triple-A seasons but has only received 44 plate appearances at the MLB level.
And the Pirates never picked up on him….
Really surprised he couldn’t find a major league deal somewhere. So many teams are using awful hitters and fielders around the infield. Even if he hits below average, his versatility and defense are worth a spot on an injury ravaged roster
Could be he wanted to play every day and not ‘ride the shuttle’…
We don’t know nobody offered him a shot, but, could’ve been it was all with strings attached as to what his role and spot on a depth chart would be.
Could be he thought playing every day, at a guaranteed higher salary than he makes in the minors, and the chance to hopefully build value, maybe it all was valued to Niko higher than what anyone was offering.
GASox – Agreed, especially regarding the higher pay.
Overseas pays more. While hoping for that MLB opportunity, with his history, you take the money, now, but look forward to next year.
I felt Niko Goodrum could’ve been the Tigers’ full time 1B while they were rebuilding and not a super sub, a role he wasn’t his best. It turns out that Ron Gardenhire wasn’t an ideal manager for a rebuilding club.
Niko Goodrum switch hit and was very fast. He played many positions but played 1B very well. I felt the Tigers should’ve made him their full time 1B while rebuilding but Ron Gardenhire was not a good rebuilding Manager and was fixed on using Goodrum as a super sub which he was not suited for.
He’s better than anyone on the athletics roster currently
The Sushi is much fresher in Korea & it’s a nice trip! He’s 400k to play baseball & eat!
Goodrum will make $400,000 DH or 2 1/2 months! Wow, that is way more than he would get in the USA. Goodrum walks a lot (his best attribute), but the power he showed was from the Worcester Red Sox Polar Park vortex. It has to be the easiest park to homer in in baseball…just pop the ball in the air and the wind will blow it out of the park…..(hell on ERAs too).
I really hope he does well over there… So much so, that maybe he opens a distillery.
Who’s going to run his hometown gym in Georgia while he’s away?
Travis Demeritte.
“Butn imagine if the Red Sox called him up!”
He was always destined for Asia. Most likely wanted to wait until diplomatic tensions settled
I thought KBO salaries weren’t guaranteed? They don’t pay out the remaining $1 million on the contract to Reks.
Why didn’t Cashman pick up on this guy? He seems to fit the mold of the current Yankees outfield. The absolute perfect reclamation project.
Hope he does well over there. I liked his versatility and thought he was decent at 2B.
I hear the bars over there serve some Goodrum.
And this is another reason to get rid of Chaim. Your middle infield situation is miserable, you have a vet hurting the ball at the plate, running and playing D in AAA and you let him opt out. Want to be cheap? Fine. But don’t let your best cheap option opt out