Utilityman Niko Goodrum elected free agency after the Pirates designated him for assignment last week, tweets Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Goodrum went unclaimed on outright waivers and had sufficient service time to explore the market.
The 32-year-old didn’t appear in a game with the Pirates. Pittsburgh claimed Goodrum off waivers from the Angels on June 10 before squeezing him off the roster four days later. The Bucs were his fourth organization of the 2024 season. Goodrum spent Spring Training with the Twins on a minor league deal. He had brief MLB stints with the Rays and Halos before his stopover in the Steel City.
Goodrum hit just .103/.188/.103 in 33 MLB plate appearances. He’d hit well for Tampa Bay’s Triple-A team in Durham, running a .316/.422/.605 slash in nine games. Goodrum had excellent numbers (.280/.448/.440) with Boston’s top minor league affiliate a year ago and continued to hit well as a member of the KBO’s Lotte Giants. He shouldn’t have an issue finding another minor league contract.
Pittsburgh also granted infielder Jake Lamb his release from Triple-A Indianapolis, tweets Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Lamb evidently had an opt-out deal in the minor league contract he signed over the winter. The 33-year-old hit .289/.380/.416 with a strong 12% walk rate and an 18.4% strikeout percentage through 234 Triple-A plate appearances.
Lamb had started the season on a huge hot streak and once looked like a candidate to supplant Rowdy Tellez as a left-handed first base option. His bat has tailed off in June, though, and the Bucs decided to let him explore other opportunities rather than giving him an MLB shot.
I had hoped he finally found the place with the Pirates. He’s a real big guy for such a little guy…..
He should find a place. Even if he has to go back to the Pirates. They wanted him. Just not in Pittsburgh or on the 40 man. If you meant on a mlb roster well….
Next team up! Goodrum agent is looking at other clubs not named Pirates, Angels, Twins, or Rays. Possible suitor is the A’s, White Sox, Marlins, and Rockies. Stay tuned on Goodrum 5th MLB team during the 2024 season!
What does Rowdy Tellez provide now that any other AAAA hitter can’t? Give someone else a shot already.
A .347 average last 30 days? SSS but I prefer they let him cool off before they dfa him. I might be the only Pirates fan allowed to enjoy him though. The rest dfa him before April was even over.
Yes but he is a fat toad who refuses to run out fly balls.
Him and Vogelbach could actually be fairly good hitters if they each lost 40 pounds.
Leyland would have sat him for five games with the no hustle approach that he brought today and before in the same manner.
It affects the whole team.Fortunately most of the guys hustle anyway.
And you wonder why this team is mediocre.
I keep reading this guy’s name as Tito Landrum and getting confused about it…
Maybe because your yeast infection went to your brain
Even with no at-bats, Niko still might lead the lineup in batting average some nights the way Shelton juggles the lineup cards.
From this moment forward, I will say this name when I talk about Shelton. He shall be known as THE MORON
Nice pick up Cherington