The Padres have signed utility player to a minor league contract, as indicated by his MLB.com transaction page. The deal likely includes an invitation to Spring Training with the major league team.
He has played parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball. A second-round pick by the Twins in 2010, he made his MLB debut with Minnesota in 2017. After being removed from the Twins’ 40-man roster, he signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the 2017-18 offseason, where he proved to be a valuable utility player over the next four years. From 2018 to 2021, he batted .232/.306/.401 with a 90 wRC+ in 376 games, contributing 6.3 fWAR while playing at multiple positions including all three outfield spots, first base, second base, third base, and shortstop.
However, Goodrum’s performance declined in his later years with Detroit, as he posted a .203/.282/.350 line in his final 504 plate appearances with the team. This led to his removal from the Tigers’ 40-man roster in the 2021-22 offseason, allowing him to hit free agency. Since then, Goodrum has struggled to find consistent MLB work but has remained active in baseball. In 2022, he played for the Astros organization, though injuries limited him to just 35 games. In 2023, he spent time with the Red Sox organization, performing well with Triple-A Worcester, which earned him a chance to play in South Korea’s KBO league, where he hit .295/.373/.387 in 50 games for the Lotte Giants.
In 2024, Goodrum returned to the U.S. and spent the year moving between five different teams. He re-signed with the Twins on a minor league deal in the 2023-24 offseason but was traded to the Rays after not making the roster. He also saw time with the Angels and Pirates before clearing waivers and signing with the Orioles. At the major league level, he struggled, hitting just .103/.188/.103 in 33 plate appearances, though his Triple-A performance was much stronger, with a .284/.375/.460 line in 243 plate appearances across 60 games.
Now, Goodrum will join his sixth organization in the past year, the Padres. San Diego is dealing with budget constraints and a lack of depth after losing several key players to free agency. While Goodrum may not be a major offensive threat, his versatility as a utility player could be a valuable asset to the Padres, especially if they struggle to fill gaps in their outfield this season.
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