The Orioles introduced the signing of utility participant Niko Goodrum and reliever Burch Smith to minor league contracts. Each gamers hit free company final week — Goodrum after clearing outright waivers by the Pirates, Smith upon being launched by the Marlins.
Goodrum is on his fifth group of the season. He has bounced between the Twins, Rays, Angels and Pirates going again to Spring Coaching. The switch-hitter has appeared in 13 massive league contests cut up between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. He’s hitting .103/.188/.103 with 10 strikeouts and three walks. Goodrum has logged 75 Triple-A plate appearances with a far superior .270/.387/.444 slash. He has drawn 11 walks with three residence runs in that restricted pattern.
The 32-year-old Goodrum has appeared in elements of seven MLB campaigns. He’s a profession .224/.297/.383 hitter over practically 1600 massive league plate appearances. Goodrum performed a portion of the 2023 season in Korea, handing over a .295/.373/.387 batting line in 201 journeys to the plate. He supplies a depth choice at nearly each place outdoors of catcher and middle subject.
Smith, 34, pitched 29 2/3 innings with the Marlins this yr. The correct-hander was in camp with the Rays on a non-roster contract earlier than leveraging an upward mobility clause into an MLB look in Miami. Smith pitched in largely low-leverage conditions out of Skip Schumaker’s bullpen. He turned in a 4.25 earned run common behind a stable 47% grounder share. He didn’t miss many bats, although, putting out 17% of batters confronted with a meager 8.6% swinging strike charge.
That stint in Miami was Smith’s first massive league motion in three years. He additionally had a short keep in Korea final season however solely made one begin earlier than struggling a shoulder damage. His velocity returned this season, as he averaged a stable 94.4 MPH on his four-seam fastball. He’ll head to Triple-A Norfolk and attempt to pitch his approach right into a center reduction function at Camden Yards.
