Red Sox Utility Man Elects Free Agency After Solid Start To Season

The Boston Red Sox lost another depth piece with big-league experience due to a contract stipulation that allowed him to be free.

Just a month after the Red Sox lost catcher Jorge Alfaro due to an opt-out clause in his contract, utility man Niko Goodrum has done the same.

"Unsurprisingly, Niko Goodrum opted out of his contract over the weekend and is now a free agent," Sox Prospects' Chris Hatfield tweeted Monday. "Had been a key part of the Worcester lineup, but clearly never was a consideration for a call-up."

Goodrum hit .280 with 18 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 36 RBIs and an .888 OPS in 65 games for Triple-A Worcester this season. Defensively, he played first base, second base, third base and right field prior to opting out. 

The 31-year-old switch-hitter has played at a high level and deserves a shot in the majors. The Red Sox continually elected to use younger talent or waiver-wire adds over Goodrum when needing to fill out the big-league roster. 

The youth movement probably was the correct path given that Boston is using the bulk of this season to look toward the future but they lost a quality player in doing so.

Not long after Alfaro departed, catcher Reese McGuire went on the injured list for an oblique strain, and Boston had to call up an inexperienced Caleb Hamilton to split time with Connor Wong.

Thankfully, the Red Sox have much more utility depth, plus both Yu Chang and Pablo Reyes are expected to return in short order.

It would have been nice to keep Goodrum in the organization but it appears that his departure was the best move for his career.