With the lockout being lifted, the remaining free agents are finally coming off the board. While some teams are looking for big difference-makers, some are looking for players to shore up their bench. The Houston Astros are in the latter. It was announced on Saturday that the Astros have signed utility-man Niko Goodrum. According to MLB Insider Jon Heyman, the deal is one year worth $2.1 million plus incentives.
Through parts of five seasons in MLB, Goodrum has a .230/.303/.396 career slashline. The 30-year old has double digit home runs in two seasons and double digit steals in three seasons in his career. Offense is not his strong suit, so defense is where Goodrum’s value resides. He has played every position except pitcher and catcher in his big league career. Of the seven positions he has played, Goodrum is most experienced at shortstop, where he has played about 1,200 innings. If the Astros are unable to re-sign Carlos Correa, Goodrum would be a candidate for the starting shortstop spot. Even if he is not the starting shortstop on Opening Day, he will still get plenty of playing time whenever a starting position player needs a day off.
Other Astros News
In other Astros news, Houston has signed outfielder Lewis Brinson to a Minor League deal. Brinson was once a top prospect. He was drafted in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of high school. However, he never quite found his footing in the Majors. In 341 career games across five seasons, Brinson is a .199 hitter with a 28.2% strikeout rate. According to Baseball Reference, Brinson has a -3.4 WAR in his career. The 27-year old was one of the Miami Marlins returns when they traded Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers. It did not work out for Brinson with the Marlins, but he is getting another opportunity as a non-roster invitee with the Astros.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Niko Goodrum, Carlos Correa, Lewis Brinson, Christian Yelich
