3:44pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that Goins’ contract has a $1MM base salary if he makes the big league roster. The infielder can also earn an additional $825K of incentives.
3:18pm: The Royals announced that they’ve signed infielder Ryan Goins to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Goins is a client of Octagon.
Goins, 29, has spent the past half decade as a reserve infielder for the Blue Jays, appearing in 449 contests and coming to the plate a total of 1397 times at the big league level. He’s never been much of an asset at the plate, however, batting a combined .228/.275/.335 with 20 homers and six steals in that time. To Goins’ credit, he did hit a career-best nine homers last year, though that small spike in a power came during a historically high home-run environment for Major League Baseball.
While Goins isn’t a big threat at the plate, he’s been an asset in the field over his first five big league campaigns. Defensive Runs Saved credits him as an above-average shortstop and a superlative defender at second base (+6 in 1362 innings and +24 in 1870 innings, respectively). Ultimate Zone Rating, meanwhile, feels he’s been roughly average at shortstop and nine runs above average at second base. Goins also has limited big league experience at third base, first base and in both outfield corners, though he’s totaled fewer than 50 innings at each of those positions.
Toronto non-tendered Goins earlier this winter in his first offseason of arbitration eligibility. If he makes the Royals’ roster and the team likes what it sees, he can be retained for at least the 2019 and 2020 campaigns via arbitration.
Would love to see Go-go get an everyday shot. The glove is so good. Honorable Blue Jay, good to see him sticking to the blue and white.
Why would he get an everyday shot he’s beyond horrible
Beyond horrible????? 418 AB, 62 rbi, solid defence, be it 2nd or short for a million $ ,,,,,nice signing
64 career OPS+ says different.
To be fair, we played Escy regularly…
Please don’t quote RBI’s as a measure of a players worth. He has the 3rd worst OBP for a LHH in mlb history. He is atrocious.
The stats suggest he was actually kinda mediocre defensively last year.
I thought that he might get an opportunity as a bench bat on a club like Miami. In a way, both teams (Royals and Marlins) are rebuilding, but I did think that a major league deal was deserved.
I think you and I have a different interpretation of the word “bat.”
Can’t wait for the announcement the Braves signed Mike Moustakas to a minor league deal. Since it’s late January and theres still over 100 free agents.
Best of luck, Goins! Gonna miss your defense and ability to be clutch with the bases loaded.
Nooooooooooo
Wouldn’t 50% of high school or college players be better than this guy. One of the worst hitters I have ever seen he’s as bad as Josh thole.
No, and considering 100% of high school and college players are undrafted, they are ineligible to suit up professionally.
Blue Jays fans irrationally love guys like this who should never be on a ML squad. And definitely should not see 1400 career plate appearances.
He saw 1400 ab’s mainly because of injuries, 62 rbi last year,,,,,, a bargain at a million, great signing
again 64 OPS+ for his career says he shouldn’t be on a ML roster
while I agree he actually made some adjustments in the second half last year with the bat.
There aren’t that many that liked him as a player, unless you’re talking about his glove
This is the move Royals fans have been waiting for. Royals are now the clear cut favorites to win the World Series
Now the chips will fall
AAAaaaaaarrrghhhhhhhhh!!!!! I am SO FREAKING BORED!!!!!
My poor son. I turn him into a huge baseball fan just in time for the worst off season ever.
Just need to bring him in with runners in scoring position. He hit .330 with runners in scoring position and had 62 RBI from the bottom of the lineup for a team that was near the bottom in runs scored. A nice .368 OBP with RISP as well. For those saying he wasn’t very good at all.
He wasn’t good at all. His OBP is garbage and the RISP stat was an anomaly. He is a career .252 hitter with RISP and that is inflated because he had a lucky year.
He’s a better choice then Alexi Amarista or Pete Kozma, who will be in the Tiger’s camp.
BAM! Finally!!! This should definitely open the flood gates. GREAT signing by KC, game changer!
Ryan Goins was by far and way the best bluejays situational hitter the last two seasons outside of Donaldson. He was thrust into everyday roles the last two years and that’s when he gets exposed. He’s a perfect utility guy for a club as the 24th or 25th man on a roster. You don’t need your bench guys in MLB to hit .300 if they do they’re everyday guys, you need your bench guys to play stellar defence and Goins is outstanding with his glove.
Not sure when backup MI needed to have above average bats and hit for power, jays fans blamed losses on Goins when it was EE, Bautista who went hitless in the same game just goins probably saved runs during the game will his glove.
Goins will be fine spelling RH SS and 2b in the future his glove is that good.
I think it’s pretty telling he was only able to get a minor league deal. There are Jays fans out there that think he should be an everyday player.
Fans love players that fluke their way to “clutch” performances. Wouldn’t shock me if he made the team because he’s a good defender, but they’ve got the worst shortstop group in baseball and they might be the worst team in baseball, so that’s obviously not saying too much
there are jays fans who believe the front office when it says it can and will compete for a playoff spot this year. a good chunk of jays fans are unfortunately naive
I don’t see the Jays be any type of a contender for the next couple years. They have an ok lineup, mediocre defence, zero pitching, there’s a winner lol. My prediction is under .500
Ok lineup.. it was last in runs last year. Zero pitching? If Sanchez is healthy again he was the ERA leader in 2016. Couple that with Stroman, Happ and Estrada with Osuna on the back end I would hardly say zero pitching.
Very little starting pitching for the Jays is about the right call. Too many if’s in this rotation. From what I hear, Sanchez finger is not healed and he will head to the pen eventually. Estrada has a hierniated disk in his back and has trouble getting over the top in his delivery every 3-4 starts. Then that same disk can totally give way and put him on the DL. Happ is a year older and as we saw [and predicted] last year, this year will be much the same: 140 innings vs 195 in his 20 win season.
Stroman will be Stroman and hopefully he can improve by avoiding blowup/emotional innings where he loses his focus [and mechanics]. If he does that and can take down the opposing teams #1 consistently, he can be a true#1. Right now Stroman is a #2.
Goins is a great guy with a great glove. He has some pop in his bat and he loves to be clutch in the field and at the plate. He is depth on a championship team of a fulltime player on a team loaded with injuries. Kansas City fans are goin to love this guy. Pun intended.
Clutch? bwahahaaa because of one year with RISP. He is a career .252 hitter with RISP and that is only inflated because he had one lucky year with RISP. he was roughly a .230 hitter before last year with RISP.
He should be a solid backup infielder which helps ensure Nikki Lopez, Ramon Torres and Cory Toups a lot of playing time at AAA. His bat is about right for a glove first utility player. If nothing goes awry he shouldn’t get any more than 200 ayebees. Perhaps an indication KC is moving on from Escobar? Unless as earlier reports have indicated that Mondessi Jr. makes a move to CF. Personally, I’d sign Escobar cheap and move the kid to center. Fact is KC needs his speed out there.. Escobar can hold down SS good enough until Lopez can take his place.
that’s a lot of not being able to hit the ball with Escobar, and mondesi in the starting lineup before even mentioning the remaining holes in the IF and Solar and Gordon coming off their worst seasons.
and with the first pick KC selects…
Hell’s Bells!
This was Rays radar, since he is pretty cheap and can be traded in the summer if proven to hit a little more for a average of 260 and up. Surprised they dint give him a shot since he can play multiple positions at a solid level and plus hes a left handed hitter. I would liked this guy on a SF Giants uniform.