red sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder He considered retiring last offseason, but ultimately decided to continue his career in Boston. However, now that he’s entering his age-35 season, it appears he’s less ambivalent about his future. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported yesterday that Refsnyder plans to continue his career in 2026 and that he has “Informal talks” Talk to Boston about possible return.
It’s understandable that Refsnyder wants to move on after the year he’s had. In 70 games with the Red Sox, Refsnyder posted a slash line of .269/.354/.484 in 209 plate appearances. It’s more or less a repeat of his stellar 2024 season, and now he’s entering free agency, finishing a two-year career with a .278/.357/.476 line in 163 games (516 plate appearances). During that time, he hit 20 homers and 28 doubles, struck out 25.6% of the time and walked 10.1% of the time.
That’s an incredibly strong performance for a bench player, but it’s worth noting that he’s spread out over a wide range of positions. Refsnyder has hit .302/.396/.554 (160 wRC+) against left-handed pitchers over the past two years, but at the same time, he’s hit a mediocre .250/.310/.387 (94 wRC+) against right-handers. His efficiency against right-handers dropped to .212/.268/.348 (67 wRC+) this season, making him a much less capable bat against the same pitching. Even if Refsnyder takes a step back against right-handers this year, Refsnyder should enjoy a strong market by bench bat standards.
It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the club would consider Refsnyder a candidate for a bigger role, given his overall performance over the past two seasons and his solid numbers among pitchers in the 2024 class. However, his more significant platoon split in 2025 could hamper those efforts, but he still feels best suited for a team where he could be a part-time player. His services would still make sense given the Red Sox’s left-handed outfield mix. The addition of Refsnyder will complement Villier Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jalen Duranand Masataka Yoshida This will go a long way toward keeping Boston’s offense balanced next year.
However, Refsnyder also makes a lot of sense for some other teams. diamondbacks trade Randall Grichuk Left before the deadline, but has an outfielder and DH combo, also important for lefties Corbin Carroll, Alec Thomas, Jack McCarthyand Parvin Smith All are playing roles. Cubs could consider Refsnyder an upgrade Justin Turner Who can be deployed as platoon mates Moises Ballesteros or Owen Casey If one of the lefty rookies takes over Kyle Tuckerposition in Chicago’s lineup. The Royals and Guardians are both trying to improve their outfield production this year and could look to Refsnyder as a way to significantly improve the offense without spending too much money.
