Eight-year MLB veteran Ryan Goins officially announced his retirement, via his X account. “I was able to do some special things in my 14 years and developed relationships that will last a lifetime….So this is my official goodbye to playing the game, and my hello to the next chapter of my journey as a coach,” Goins wrote. The infielder also paid tribute to his family, teammates, and several of his former teams, particularly the Blue Jays “for taking a chance on me and giving me my first shot.”
Goins was a fourth-round pick for Toronto in the 2009 draft, working his way up the minor league ladder and debuting in the Show in 2013. His first five Major League seasons were spent with the Blue Jays, before then playing with the Royals in 2018 and then with the White Sox in 2019-20. Goins also spent time in the Phillies, A’s, and Braves organizations without getting any big league calls, and he signed a minors deal with Kansas City last winter but didn’t actually take the field for any game action.
Known more for his glove than his bat, Goins hit .228/.278/.333 over 1690 career plate appearances in the majors, usually working as a utility infielder. Goins was a very solid defender at both middle infield positions, and also played some third base and a handful of games at first base and the two corner outfield spots.
More than half (887) of Goins’ career PA came during the 2015 and 2017 seasons, as Goins found himself elevated into more or less everyday duty due to injuries to regular Jays starters. Devon Travis’ recurring shoulder problems meant that Goins got the majority of time at second base for Toronto’s AL East-winning team in 2015, and Goins also found himself logging a lot of work at both second base and shortstop in 2017 when Troy Tulowitzki was on the injured list.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Goins on a fine career, and we wish him all the best in his coaching work.