‘Rex Out’ Lotte Continues Athletic Direction…Why They Signed Gudrum, Not ‘Geppo’
The Lotte Giants have made their first move in their quest for a second half comeback. They claimed foreign-born slugger Zack Rex off waivers and signed new foreign-born player Nico Goodrum.
In a press release on Nov. 11, Lotte announced the signing of Nico Goodrum to a contract totaling $400,000 and the waiver claim of Rex. Rex has been playing with a knee injury this year. With no clear rehabilitation time, he was forced to play, and Lotte eventually cut ties with him.
The game against Changwon NC on the 11th was canceled due to rain, but manager Larry Sutton told the press, “Rex came to us in the second half of last year and had a successful run. This spring, he was doing really well until he got injured. “When he first injured his knee, he was looking at six to 10 weeks of rehabilitation. The club tried to give Rex as much time as possible to rehabilitate, but because of his role as a foreign hitter, the rehabilitation time was not short.”
tte Giants Rex is disappointed after striking out in the first inning. 2023.06.22 /ksl0919@osen.co.kr
Goodrum, Lotte’s newest signing, is a 192-centimeter, 99-kilogram right-handed utility player. He was drafted in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins. He later played for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and finally the Boston Red Sox in the 2023 season.
In 402 career games in the majors, he batted .226 with 311 hits, 42 home runs, 46 doubles, and a .688 OPS. His most notable season in the majors came in 2018, when he batted .245 (109-for-444) with 16 home runs, 53 RBI, 12 doubles and a .747 OPS in 131 games for the Detroit Tigers.
This season, he’s been a solid producer at Triple-A for the Boston Red Sox, batting .218 (61-for-61) with eight home runs, 36 RBIs, seven doubles and an .888 OPS in 65 games.
Sutton said of Goodrum, “He’s a guy we’ve been watching for close to a year and a half. He’s a switch-hitter who does a great job of controlling his zone. This year, he’s had more walks than strikeouts, so he’s got a good strikeout rate.” This year, Goodrum has 66 strikeouts and 60 walks in Triple-A.
“He’s also played four seasons in the majors. He’s got the athleticism to play a lot of different positions.” “He’ll be here this week. He’ll be here within the week, and we’ll give him plenty of time to work out and integrate during the All-Star break.”
This year, he was a utility infielder at Triple-A. He played primarily at first base (30 games), second base (22 games), and third base (12 games). He started one game in the outfield this year. For his entire career, he has more experience as an infielder than an outfielder.
“He can play all positions in the infield,” Sutton said. He can also play first base because Seung-min Ko is out at first base right now. He can also play shortstop if Noh needs a break from starting in left field in certain situations as the season progresses. “Once Goodrum arrives, we’ll see how he does in different ways. It’s going to take time, so we’ll have to see how he does during the All-Star break. Our scouting team has made a judgment on which position is best for him, but we will watch him a little more on the field.”
Lotte currently ranks last in home runs with 33 as a team. Their long ball power is severely lacking. Rex was supposed to fill in for the long ball, but a knee injury prevented him from doing so. Still, the new foreigner is not a slugger. He has 42 career home runs in the majors and only 23 in Triple-A. As Sutton emphasized, he makes good contact and has good initiative, but he’s not the kind of player who will provide the team with the power it needs. Instead, Sutton emphasized that he fits the team’s direction.메이저놀이터
“He’s a guy that fits our mold,” Sutton said. He’s not a 30-40 home run hitter, but he can hit enough home runs and he’s a switch-hitter and he can cover both sides of the plate. I think he’s going to have an above-average batting average, and I think he’s a guy who can definitely be productive once he adjusts.”