Reds news: Outfielder Brian Goodwin non-tendered, now a free agent

Brian Goodwin’s stay with the Cincinnati Reds was a short one.

It appears that Brian Goodwin‘s time with the Cincinnati Reds has apparently come to an end. The outfielder, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels, posted a  message to Twitter that would lead most fans to believe that Goodwin will be playing elsewhere in 2021. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer later confirmed the news.

This should not come as a surprise to anyone who follows baseball, as Goodwin was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to take home between $2.7M-$3.6M next season. This was Goodwin’s second time being arbitration eligible after signing a one-year deal worth $2.2M last offseason.

Given Goodwin’s standing with the team as a fourth or fifth outfielder, the price tag did not meet the performance. With a starting outfield of Nick Castellanos, Nick Senzel, and Shogo Akiyama, along with Jesse Winker and Aristides Aquino, it’s questionable if Goodwin would have even made the roster.

Goodwin was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline. In exchange, the Los Angeles Angels received left-handed prospect Packy Naughton. Naughton was not assigned to LA’s 40-man roster and will be available in the Rule 5 Draft later this month.

Goodwin, who was originally taken in the first-round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals, was brought to Cincinnati while centerfielder Nick Senzel’s status for the remainder of the 2020 season was still up in the air. Once Senzel returned to the lineup, Goodwin was more of a bench bat or defensive replacement.

During his short stint with the Reds, Goodwin hit .163/.236/.327 with two home runs and five RBIs. Prior to the trade, Goodwin was hitting .242/.330/.463 with four homers and 17 RBIs.

Brian Goodwin may the first player to be non-tendered by the Cincinnati Reds, but he may not be the last. Robert Stephenson avoided the axe after being traded to the Colorado Rockies last week. However, players like Curt Casali and Archie Bradley are not assured to return to the team in 2021. We’ll have to wait and see.