Detroit Tigers could have a solid find in Niko Goodrum
By Brad Faber
After signing a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers, Niko Goodrum went on to have an excellent spring training. He has been rewarded with a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility man.
Last offseason, the Detroit Tigers lost utility man Andrew Romine on waivers to the Seattle Mariners. Although Romine batted only .236/.293/.313 during his time in Detroit, he provided value with his defense and versatility. At the end of last season, he became just the fifth player to play all nine positions in a single game.
This spring, there was some competition to replace the void that Romine left. The Detroit Tigers ended up signing players such as veteran Pete Kozma and former Cleveland Indians farmhand Ronny Rodriguez. However, the super-utility job went to Niko Goodrum, who will join JaCoby Jones, Victor Reyes and backup catcher John Hicks on the Tigers’ bench. Jones, who has played mostly outfield so far in his brief big league career, was also reportedly taking ground balls this spring and could potentially fulfill a super-utility role as well.
Goodrum, a switch-hitter, spent eight seasons in the Minnesota Twins‘ organization. He made his big league debut last year, but struggled through 11 games, hitting only .059/.111/.059. However, he did have a pretty nice season in Triple-A Rochester, hitting .265/.309/.425 with 13 home runs and 66 RBI through 127 games.
Solid spring numbers
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This spring, Goodrum was quite impressive with the bat, hitting .289/.327/.644 with four home runs through 22 games. While it is wise to take spring training numbers with a grain of salt, he certainly showed that he has a little bit of pop in his bat.
Much like Romine, Goodrum should be able to fill in almost anywhere the Tigers need him. In the minor leagues, he played seven different positions (everywhere but pitcher and catcher.)
According to Evan Woodbery of MLive, Goodrum will be used primarily as an infielder at first. The Tigers currently have five outfielders on their roster, so it appears that there will be a greater need for him to help out in the infield. The Tigers have a rather young infield with youngster Jeimer Candelario taking over at third base and Dixon Machado entering into his first full year as a starter at second. Goodrum could be a suitable, temporary fill-in if either player is struggling or needs a day off. He can also spell Jose Iglesias at shortstop.
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While the Detroit Tigers may not have a superstar in Goodrum, it appears that they may have snagged a very nice bench piece. He should be able to do the job that Romine did or perhaps do it even better.