Red Sox Unlikely To Bring Back Fan Favorite With .838 OPS, Insider Hints

What's the issue here?

Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Some players' free agencies steal all the headlines, but the Boston Red Sox could quietly lose a very important member of the roster this offseason.

Outfielder Rob Refsnyder plays a somewhat minimal role as a weak-side platoon outfielder, but he plays that role incredibly well. He and infielder Romy González were two of the best weapons in baseball who were consistently deployed against left-handed starting pitchers.

It's hard to imagine Refsnyder playing elsewhere after what he's meant to the Boston clubhouse. That's why it may have been jarring for some that on Saturday, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe seemed to strongly hint that the Red Sox weren't the favorites to sign Refsnyder as a free agent this winter.

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Refsnyder headed elsewhere?

"Count me as surprised that it seems unlikely Rob Refsnyder will return to the Red Sox," wrote Abraham. The outfielder has an .804 OPS over 309 games in four seasons with the Sox and has crushed lefties to a tune of .312/.407/.516 in 501 plate appearances. That for a total cost of $5.5 million.

"Refsnyder also is a strong clubhouse presence and is the chief Jarren Duran whisperer of the group. The Sox also need right-handed hitters."

Refsnyder, once a promising minor-leaguer in the New York Yankees system, had a true fringe journeyman career going on before he hit his stride in Boston. He's played for five other teams, all in the American League: the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers.

Certainly, Refsnyder's contributions aren't as valuable over the course of 162 games as an everyday outfielder. But he can swing the outcome of any individual game either against a lefty starter or off the bench. Plus, in theory, he shouldn't be overly expensive to retain.

Shouldn't Boston make sure he doesn't go anywhere?

Granted, of course, the Red Sox won't be able to keep him for the outrageously cheap $2 million club option they had over him this past season. But still...

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