A former Detroit Tigers fan favorite utility man has decided to call it a career after seven Major League seasons.
According to his MLB transactions log, Niko Goodrum retired from professional baseball on Wednesday at age 33. He had been playing with Triple-A Syracuse in the New York Mets organization, where he had posted a .791 OPS in 12 games this season.
Goodrum was a career .224/.297/.383 hitter over parts of seven big league seasons, though he hadn't seen regular MLB action since 2021 – his final season with the Tigers.
Former Tigers fan favorite utility man Niko Goodrum retires from professional baseball
Originally selected by the Minnesota Twins in the second round (No. 71 overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft, Goodrum spent four of his seven Major League seasons with the Tigers from 2018-21. He was solid in a utility role for Detroit during that time, logging reps at all three outfield spots in addition to first base, second base, third base and shortstop. At the plate, he slashed .232/.306/.401 in 376 games.
Goodrum's production at the plate eventually slowed, prompting the Tigers to outright him off their roster during the 2021-22 offseason. Since then, Goodrum has appeared in just 66 big league games over the last three years during brief stints with the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels.
After spending the first half of the 2023 campaign in the Boston Red Sox's minor league system, Goodrum spent the second half in South Korea's KBO league and slashed .295/.373/.387 in 50 games with the Lotte Giants.
Goodrum's last stint in the Majors came in 2024, when hit just .103/.188/.103 at the big league level over 13 games between the Rays and the Angels. He joined the Mets – his seventh organization in the last calendar year – on a minor league contract earlier this month after being released from his minor league deal with the San Diego Padres during spring training.
Goodrum retires with four years and 97 days of MLB service time, during which he appeared in 415 career games and amassed 314 hits, 42 home runs and 47 stolen bases. We wish him all the best in retirement!
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