Position: IF/OF
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats/Throws: B/R
Born: 02/28/1992
High School: Fayette County HS (Fayetteville, GA)
Drafted: 2nd Round, 71st Overall, 2010 (Twins)
How Acquired: Waivers (from Angels)
Bonus: $514,800
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 2
Overview
The Twins drafted Goodrum out of prep school in the second round in 2010 with the idea that he offered a lot of projection, including power potential. He also had a very strong arm and good speed. The bat has never come around and Goodrum advanced very slowly through the minors. Ultimately, he had a couple of solid hitting seasons in the majors with Detroit, in 2018-19, but he hasn’t hit well since then. Strikeouts have been a problem and his walk rate has just been OK. Goodrum was a prolific base stealer for several years in the minors, but at this point probably has only about average speed. Throughout his career he’s played all over the field, including all the infield and outfield positions. He’s probably somewhere around average defensively at most positions, but it’s hard to tell because he’s moved around so much. The Pirates claimed Goodrum off waivers in June 2024.
2010-15
Goodrum moved slowly through the lower levels of the Twins’ system. He spent three years at the two rookie levels, drawing walks but also striking out a lot without producing more than modest power. He mostly played short.
In 2013, the Twins moved Goodrum to Low Class A, where he again hit decently, with a .732 OPS and strikeouts in over a quarter of his ABs. He spent 2014 in High A and didn’t hit well there, posting just a .672 OPS, although he cut his K rate. He played mostly at short in 2013 but mainly at third in 2014. Goodrum returned to High A in 2015 and his hitting didn’t improve, but the Twins moved him up to AA at mid-season. He had a .724 OPS there. At both locations, he divided his time between third, short and center.
2016-17
Goodrum returned to AA in 2016, but he missed over half the season with injuries, including a strained hamstring. When he was able to play, his hitting improved, especially his power, as he put up a 275/358/451 line. He went to AAA in 2017 and batted 265/309/425 with 13 home runs while playing outfield, second and third, in that order of frequency. The Twins called him up at the beginning of September and he got into 11 games with them. After the season, Minnesota outrighted him and he elected free agency. He signed a minor league deal with Detroit.
2018-21
Goodrum made the Tigers’ roster to start the 2018 season and spent all of 2018-20 with them, although he missed the last month of 2019 with a groin strain and a little time in 2020 with a strained oblique. Despite K rates approaching 30%, he hit reasonably well — around major league average — in 2018-19. He had a .747 OPS and 16 home runs in 2018, .743 and 12 the next year, playing about three-quarters of the time. He played all over the field, with significant time at short, second, first and in the outfield.
In 2020, Goodrum fell off sharply, with just a .598 OPS and a 39% K rate. The Tigers stuck with him in 2021, although he missed a lot of time due to several injuries. In 90 games in the majors, he had a .651 OPS. After the season, Detroit outrighted Goodrum and he elected free agency.
2022-24
Houston signed Goodrum to a major league contract during spring training 2022. In 15 games with them, he went 5-for-43 and they optioned him to AAA. He missed much of the rest of the season with injuries and the Astros released him in September. Boston signed him to a minor league deal for 2023 and sent him to AAA, where he hit well, with an .888 OPS. The Sox nevertheless released Goodrum at midseason and he signed with Lotte in the Korean KBO League.
The Twins signed Goodrum to a minor league deal for 2024, then traded him to the Rays for future considerations in spring training. The Rays called Goodrum up in mid-April and he got into nine games with them, going 3-for-16, before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Angels. Goodrum played in four games for them, going 0-for-13, was optioned to AAA, and then was designated for assignment.
The Pirates claimed Goodrum off waivers in June. Before he’d played a game for them, though, they designated him for assignment and outrighted him to AAA when he cleared waivers.
Stats
Transactions
June 8, 2010: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd Round, 71st overall; signed on June 23.
September 1, 2017: Contract purchased by the Minnesota Twins.
November 6, 2017: Outrighted to AAA by the Minnesota Twins and elected free agency.
November 25, 2017: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Detroit Tigers.
March 28, 2018: Called up by the Detroit Tigers.
November 19, 2021: Outrighted to AAA by the Detroit Tigers and elected free agency.
March 15, 2022: Signed as a free agent by the Houston Astros.
September 2, 2022: Released by the Houston Astros.
December 21, 2022: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Boston Red Sox.
July 3, 2023: Released by the Boston Red Sox.
December 14, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Minnesota Twins.
March 26, 2024: Traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Tampa Bay Rays for future considerations.
April 12, 2024: Called up by the Tampa Bay Rays.
May 9, 2024: Claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays by the Los Angeles Angels.
June 10, 2024: Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
June 17, 2024: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.