The Red Sox announced they’ve signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year contract (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive). He’ll be guaranteed a base salary of $3.1MM with an additional $600K available in incentives, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Renfroe, 29 in January, became a free agent after he was outrighted by the Rays last month. Tampa Bay decided it wasn’t prepared to tender him an arbitration contract, projected in the $4MM range, on the heels of a disastrous 2020 season. The right-handed hitter managed just a .156/.252/.393 slash line with eight homers over 139 plate appearances in his lone season in Tampa Bay. That certainly wasn’t what the Rays had in mind when they acquired Renfroe as part of the deal that sent Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth to the Padres last offseason.
That the Rays were willing to part with talented players to bring Renfroe aboard in the first place, though, speaks to the decent player he’d become in San Diego. Between 2018-19, Renfroe hit .231/.295/.496 with 59 home runs (106 wRC+). That made him slightly better than the average hitter in aggregate, but the shape of that production was more variable. Over the course of his career, Renfroe has mashed (.258/.339/.573) against left-handed pitching, while posting subpar numbers (.216/.268/.449) against righties. That could point to a future as the short side of a platoon, but Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters (including Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic) Renfroe could be an everyday option in the grass.
That’s a testament to his defensive aptitude. Despite his size, Renfroe has generally rated as a strong corner outfielder. Over the past three seasons, he’s racked up 23 defensive runs saved between left and right field. Much of that value comes from his plus arm, although Statcast’s range-based metric also pegs Renfroe at five outs above average in that time. That defensive prowess has helped differentiate the former first-rounder from other on-base deficient sluggers around the league. During his final two seasons in San Diego, Renfroe accrued a solid four to five wins above replacement, in the estimation of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.
If he can recapture that level of production, Renfroe could find a home in Boston for a few seasons. He remains controllable via arbitration through 2023. In the immediate future, he joins an outfield consisting of Alex Verdugo and Andrew Benintendi (as well as primary designated hitter J.D. Martinez).
Both Verdugo and Benintendi worked in the corner outfield last season in deference to Jackie Bradley Jr. Either could be capable of replacing Bradley, who has since hit free agency, if the Sox see Renfroe as an everyday player. Bloom told reporters (Cotillo link) that Verdugo would open the season in centerfield as things stand but didn’t rule out the possibility of future additions to the outfield.
Well. I guess he’s worth the risk for a team in Boston’s position.
Yeah, I would have been pissed if a contender like the Mets got him.
Hahaha.
The Mets are contenders?
Best last place team in history.
Yes! The Mets contend for last place every year!
I remember when David Letterman would do his show on the opening day of the baseball season and claim. The new baseball season started and the Mets are officially eliminated. That was his running gag for a few years.
Abgb…overly optimistic perspective is one of the symptoms of “homerism.”
I can’t tell if MetsFan22 is a troll or a genuine mega homer Mets fan
Mets may be a contender if they build correctly. Not too far of a thought.
He’s the biggest homer on MLBTR. Although it makes himself appear as a troll.
Is there a difference?
Could you be a homer and be right?? If so I’ll be fine with that. Ik the Mets will be good next year.
You’ll be criticized a lot Metsfan22, but I’m right there with you. I do think the Mets will contend in 21′, and with the lack of a DH pushing Smith to the OF, they don’t need another iffy outfielder to throw in the mix. The only outfielder they should be eyeing is Springer, and even then I don’t think they should get him. Smith, Nimmo, and Conforto is a great outfield. A Lindor or Story trade is what they should look into. That and signing Bauer. Those two things will push them up and over the top.
Winning the off-season is more of a curse then a bragging right
The Mets being contenders next year is pretty likely. Those who keep up this lol Mets, they’re are always in last place (simply untrue) narrative are trolling as much as anyone.
I’m a cards fan, but the Mets are my second favorite team this year and I could easily see em anywhere from last to 2nd in that division. Hard to unseat the braves though
Well said Cosmo, trolls trailing for trolls indeed
If they get Bauer and Springer, they will definitely contend
My God you love the Mets
you make a good point the mets aren’t that bad of a team what has hurt them in the past is there depth. yea your everyday guys are good to great but this isn’t the 30~60’s where everyone plays 150 games. every team needs them mid their guys who can pull there own when a guy gets hurt or just needs a few days off. like what 2021 said with a few good moves and some under radar guys mets could be a dark horse team not like anyone in that division is a clear favorite to win. (before you start raving about the braves yes there the team to beat right now in the east but they haven’t done much to separate themselves from the rest of the east)
“Smith, Nimmo, and Conforto is a great outfield.”
I realize there are some terrible things going on, i.e., sedition, hundred-year pandemic, U.S. economic implosion, etc.; but the above claim may be worse…
Since when are the Mets a contender? This isn’t 2016 anymore, wake up homer.
There is definitely much worse free agent outfielders left. At least Renfroe plays good defense and has plus power.
Not a good move in my view. Where is the upside? Seems like a Tampa move. I’d have preferred a Pillar reunion although we may have seen the best of him last year. I however expect Boston to now act like a big market team with their 2020 tax issue in the rear mirror. That said, I do BIB (believe in Bloom) so let’s see what the final 2021 roster looks like.
Well, Chaim is earning his new nickname these past 2 off seasons for sure:
Bottom-feedin Bloom
This season is far from complete and he was hired to get the team under the threshold last season which did remarkably well. Problem with being a fan is we want everything now. Much of his success or failure won’t be known until 2022 or later.
Looie – well said. You can’t look at the Renfro signing in a vacuum. He hits left handed pitchers very well, so maybe he platoons with Beni in the large Fenway right field with Verdugo moving to CF, so the Red Sox sign Rosario for left field…..
I do not think Bloom is done with the outfield….
Yeah another couple of last place finishes should get the Sox back in contention but not by 2022
Leaving aside expectations, trading Mookie got them under the tax. Adding Price got them further. Let’s ignore grumblings about the trade itself, although there is room to argue there.
The bigger frustration is, there was ROOM under the cbt (pre covid) to make some impactful additions, and we had bargain-bin bloom sifting through the garbage.
Once covid hit, had a golden opportunity to green light absorbing some expiring undesirable contracts from cash strapped teams and really loading up for bear by adding bundled talent to offset the bad deals.
Instead, we had a ridiculous number of claims and dfas as junk pitcher after junk pitcher were tossing clunkers.
So, as this offseason gets off to the less-than-auspicious start it has again… well…. I guess at least it appears we picked up a manager lacking ethics and moral compass
…..but the players love him……
I posted below that I’d prefer to get a CF, preferably JBJ instead of playing musical chairs out there. If Rosario comes I believe Benny goes.
The way the season unfolded, injuries and losses made it easy. The Sox made the right moves for 20 but now it’s 2021 coming up.
They did that on purpose to get a high draft pick. They left Houck & Pivetta down until the last two weeks for the same reason. They knew they couldn’t win so they tanked the season by picking up horrible pitchers. They will be much better this season.
Where is the upside?
————————————-
His upside is probably 2019, where he had 27 HRs in the first half.
They left Houck & Pivetta down until the last two weeks for the same reason.
———————————————————
Not really. They left Pivetta down for the same reason that Philly did; he was pitching horribly.
Similar to Houck. They didn’t leave him down because he was some top-10 prospect that they were looking to save service time. They left him down because he was a guys with on 25 IPs in AAA, with waek results.
When both these guys were promoted, no one in baseball said ‘on no, the RS will now be unstoppable with Pivetta and Houck. That’s just something RS writers came up with.
Houck pitched with no expectations but was basically perfect. Pressure is on him to deliver in 21 as the opportunity is there. Hopefully he succeeds.
They do need that outfield help if jbj leaves
And they still need the same help with 4th OF/depth piece in renfroe.
Renfroe isnt playing CF though
You are right. Renfroe isn’t playing center. But benintendi and Verdugo are both capable of playing center and renfroe can play both corners.
Neither is a smart long term move. Benny’s warts have shown in the small sample size he’s been in center and I worry AD may be too fragile to be running and diving in both directions. Bring back JBJ who in my view was under respected by fans. We acknowledged his glove but harped on his bat even more. He’ll be missed if he goes elsewhere.
Boston could still find a defensive replacement for late in games then Ben and Verdugo can move to corners. Then I think they can live with those two handling center
I’d rather try to keep AV healthy. For a short career, he’s been injury prone. As I think he’s the real deal, I’d protect him where I could.
Ideal Renfro/ Beni in LF, Verdugo in RF, and resign JBJ for CF!!!!
*AV
Agree if Renfro wasn’t signed as security in case JBJ doesn’t resign.
Platoon with Benintendi
That’s not how platoons work
How do platoons work in your head?
Mendoza try harder.
One is a lefty hitter, the other is a righty? Is that not how a platoon works?
i will never get the appeal, but its fairly low risk
Not huge on renfroe’s offensive style. How is he defensively?
Above average
He had one very good defensive year according to metrics. Overrated in that area.
For good or bad, use your eyes in evaluating and stop relying metrics which are overrated since the game is not played in a computer.
Eye test for fielding is just not accurate. The eye test showed Jeter to be a great SS. Turns out he was just diving for balls that should’ve been routine. And your computer comment makes no sense at all.
Cosmo, anyone who watched the Yankees realized for much of Jeter’s career, he was aided by having a great defense around him. Cano and Tex covered so much ground on their side of the diamond and ARod was fine at third. Such hid a lot of Jeter’s inadequacies.
Fantastic in 2019. Average every other year. Has a strong arm, but hopefully for the Sox, his defensive numbers from 2019 return in 2021 and his numbers from 2020 were more of a fluke from the small sample size.
I watched a ton of him from 2016-2019 when he was with SD, and theres really two components of his defense that I think have varied over the years. The defensive metrics also seem to capture this somewhat.
First, he has an absolute cannon of an arm. However until 2019 it didn’t really seem all that accurate. So while he was capable of gunning down would be base runners, a lot of the time he airmailed his cut off man or missed his target, which translated to mediocre defensive numbers until his throws became accurate in 2019, at which point this was a huge asset.
Second, I feel like he used to get bad jumps on the ball and didn’t have a great first step, which might have messed up his routes to the ball. In 2019 though, his reaction time/first step seemed to be really on point, which is why I think he had such an elite defensive season considering he has basically average sprint speed.
So to sum it up, in my opinion the accuracy of his rocket launcher arm and whether he is getting good jumps on the ball are probably what decides whether he’s a mediocre defensive OF or a very good one.
GLOBE:
“Defensively, Renfroe is a corner outfielder with the arm to have spent most of his time in right field, a FINALIST for a GOLD GLOVE there with the Padres in 2019.”
Must’ve been blooms decision all along lol. That’s gonna be a green monster killer, well miss you in Tampa HR
and in other news, this further proves i was foolish to pick Springer to BOS over TOR. sigh.
Could still sign them both
i mean maybe. i think I just got a little too attracted to the local guy thing.
I don’t see Springer to Boston even with the local kid thing. I just can’t see Bloom wrapping almost all of his offseason budget on one player not to mention the loss of the high second round draft pick.
Bruin – totally agree. Springer is NOT coming to Boston! Bloom would never give up the 4th pick in the second round, and the RS have $43.5 million to spend and stay under the CBT. A chunk of that money needs to go to pitching!
Watch out if he stays available and the team hasn’t spent big money elsewhere. Bauer wants a short term deal supposedly. If he really sticks to a one year contract, the Sox could pull a rabbit out of their … imagine Bauer at the top of the rotation and by season’s end you add in Sale and ERod to go with Eolvaldi. If all pitch like they can, the team can win it all. Last to first like in 13 (and 16 with respect to the division). The longest of long shots but that will recapture the front page of more than just the Globe.
for what its worth,this draft is going to be very difficult to scout, especially if the college seasons get interupted. pushing back the draft helps, but losing 2020 will make evaluation difficult.
Dark side. it’s the draft and evaluating in a fishbowl that Bloom supposedly shines.
Good fit there. Liked him when he was in SD. Has All Star upside.
Everyone has all-star upside.
Chris Davis has entered the chat.
If he had all star upside more teams would be in on him and less teams would keep dumping him.
Future hall of fame player
Woah! I thought they would go w/ Springer or E Rosario. Just Chain Bloom doing Chain Bloom
He hit well at Fenway this year I feel like he will be a solid pickup, nice
And Bloom acquires Renfroe once again…..
Chaim went to Boston in October of 2019 and Renfroe was dealt to Tampa in December of 2019
$3.1 is too much for someone who hits homeruns in less than 7% of his at-bats and also hits below the Mendoza Line.
@dknight 2 – I assume this is a joke that I just didn’t get? Only 7 players in the history of baseball have a career HR% higher than 7%, with 8, 9 and 10 being Sosa, Ted Williams and Manny. Now to be clear, I think Renfroe’s career stats are not good, but that might be the ONLY metric you could have used that doesn’t support that.
The problem with Renfroe isn’t his batting average because zero GMs in the last at least 10 years look at batting average but it’s his OBP is awful.
He is likely viewed as a platoon guy who can mash LP and can provide power off the bench.
You’re right. I forgot to include the other stats but work got me hung up on something.
I meant to also bash his OBP.
Overall, I feel like this was wasted money. Even for a fourth outfielder, which they need, I’d much rather they go after Pillar or almost any other RH outfielder.
Pillar’s OBP is .009 better .299 to .290.
Look, I know 2020 was a small sample size but the guy has a career .290 OBP. No thank you please.
I guess the Hunter became the hunted…by Boston, at least.
Natural RF. I guess this takes them out of the running for Rosario.
Nah I bet they still go after Rosario
You’re right I’m thinking like Bradley is still under contract. Rosario in LF, Benitendi CF, Renfroe RF.
Hell with Verdugo huh?
Yeah I’m forgetting everyone today.
If they sign Rosario they could trade others for proven pitching
True that
Kevin Pilar would have been a much better option and not that expensive….
I don’t think Renfroe will be anything more than a 4th outfielder for 2020. Benny and Verdugo both hit lefty so it just gives them a right handed hitting outfielder that could platoon with Benny. I’d love to see a Pillar return in CF
Why not Rosario?
How is Rosario any different than Renfroe besides for costing more money?
Rosario bats left handed. Sox needed a right handed OF to add to their mix. Bloom is gambling that Renfroe has a bounce back season and they get to control him for a couple more years. Not a bad risk; worst case is that he comes this year’s Peraza.
We don’t need another Peraza. That was a dumb Bloom move when we could have easily signed Holt for less and better production. This is not a moving forward move- a Pillar reunion would have been better.
I said the same thing about Pillar although a reunion could have just as easily become Steve Pearce 2.0. As for Holt, Rocky7 just crapped in his pants. Never mention the Brockstar again…
That was a dumb Bloom move when we could have easily signed Holt for less and better production.
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That’s actually wrong on both counts.
Peraza’s bWAR was -0.1, while Holt was -0.6.
Peraza’s salary was $3.0M, while Brock’s salary, including the buy-out, was $3.25M.
But Holt was better before 2020. Peraza has never had the upside Holt had. You used one year for your argument. Look at the bigger picture.
Rosario is a butcher in the field
So I guess Hunter Renfroe is worth more than David Dahl. Interesting.
One has the injury-prone tax, the other doesn’t.
Again, Dahl bats left handed. Sox needed a RH hitting OF as a platoon with Benny.
Renfroe can carry a team when he gets hot. If he can find his swing he will do well at Fenway. My guess though is that he’s more likely to cool off those hot summer nights in Boston by moving lots of air around.
Sox hoping the bargain bin pays off.
He was one of my favorite players when on the Padres. Best of luck to him in Boston!
RH power, solid defense in a corner. lousy OBP, ..waaaaaaaaaaaay too many K’s……second division guy……
I know it’s not much of risk for BOS, but I’m bit surprised he was able to get 3.1m in this “climate”. His on-base problems are evident, but being a quality defender with 30+hr power still has value.
He’s a reincarnation of Dave Kingman. Strikeout or moonshot. Great arm in the outfield.
Henry needs to show his not totally cheap
But he is cheap
With 3 left-handed hitting outfielders bloom is trying to balance his line-up.
I just can’t see bloom signing jbj.he will want to lower payroll this year.
I could see him signing grossman and hoping to flip him at trade deadline.
Cool to finally see a two sport athlete again.
Renfroe is a hitting machine!!! Yea Saux!
I think there is one letter too many in “Saux.”
Grab some pitching. Kluber would be a good pickup
The real question is how he fits in the outfield …. possible trade coming
Meh, expensive platoon guy. I’d rather have Pillar back.
Really almost as bad as the Cleveland Indians changing their name
Agreed! We need more racists like you out there, arguing for backwards causes!
There’s that word people like to throw around. You’re an idiot.
i know right
!
I would have thought Pittsburgh would have added him but I should know better. Who would go to Pittsburgh if they had any other options?
Cherington is horrible picking free agents…. Renfro must not be fat or injured enough for him to be interested. Besides Ben likes to grow his own …..
If Bloom sign both Bauer and Springer you all would still find something to complain about!
Just what Boston needs, a guy who hits 30 hr, with 25 of them during lopsided games against mop up pitchers or meaningless games at the end of the year! Get JBJ and Mitch 2 bags back.
He was actually super clutch his last yr in SD…think he walked off the Dodgers twice (once with a 2 out salami vs kenley in the 9th )
Yep, then his bat took an 80 game vacation in the second half of 2019. That’s why the Padres finally gave up on him.
I would have preferred the Sox took a chance on David Dahl over Renfroe personally, as I believe Dahl has the higher upside and can play CF. That being said, Renfroe makes for a cheap power bat that’s solid defensively, and he could be used as a trade chip down the line if he can rebound a bit offensively.
Nobody trading for Willy Mo Pena 2.0
Agree on Dahl
Not unless he performs like he did in the first half of 2019 with the Padres. In the unlikely chance he does, he could have some trade value.
Wake me up when Dahl finds a home!
Dahl already signed with Texas I believe
Wakey wakey
Oh snap you’re right! Haha thanks Rangers29
I bet he will be a AL HR leader this year.
I feel that hunter renfroe will probably make their outfield complete enough to start worrying about getting better pitching and infield. comments? big dodger fan!
I really like this deal. I’m a believer in them re-signing Jackie Bradley at 2-3 years with 8.5M-9.5M AAV, so this gives them a potential right-handed power bat that is controllable through 2023 and projectable as a hitter at Fenway, and allows them to have enough depth to ease Jarren Durran into the mix late this season and into 2022 as JBJ’s would-be contract prepares to expire
The cheap deal opens the team to pursue pitching depth. This also furthers the idea that Michael Chavis is an expendable trade chip to a team like the Mets, who just hired Jared Porter, a former Boston exec who worked alongside Mike Hazen in Arizona and in Boston when the team picked Chavis in the 2014 draft
Why would the Mets possibly need Chavis?
2nd base cano is suspended
A lot of lefties in the infield to replace Cano. Not the flashiest of deals for the Mets, but he is controllable with pop upside and has enough defensive versatility to take the pressure off of McNeil. He is also familiar to Porter, which makes him an intriguing bench piece for a team that is trying to compete sooner than the Red Sox, who could be willing to bail on his development in favor of a younger player with longer projection in return
Nah. McNeil plays second. Davis/Guillorme at 3rd. Last thing they need is more bad defense. They should sign Springer for CF. Hopefully the DH is in play cuz there’s already a squeeze to get Smith in. Pretty dumb to create that squeeze by giving up assets for the likes of Chavis.
but look luis gilmore is not gonna be good enough to produce at the same rate they need him to. but there is the thought that chavis is not much better
Doesn’t matter, even with Cano out they’ve a glut on offense. They need to improve CF defense, not add another bat with sub-par D. Bottom line is Chavis would displace someone, therefore he’s not needed. Unnecessary move.
I hear you on that. Springer would be an awesome get. I’m thinking long term beyond this upcoming season. Chavis is a former top 100 prospect under team control through 2026 w minor league options and is dispensible to his organization now. Not saying he is the answer, but he is a nice depth option to have in the minors where he can continue to develop under a GM who was part of the group who drafted him. Might make sense to take a flier on him for cheap as someone who has the upside to be a solid bench piece in addition Guillorme insurance
Doesn’t need to displace anyone. He doesn’t have a roster spot in Boston and could seek a return for him instead of putting him in the minors, where he could be in with the Mets. They can sign Springer, play Guillorme at 3rd, AND have Chavis in the minors for when the Mets are inevitably riddled with injuries
True. I forgot the possibility of stashing Chavis in the minors.
Assuming that Michael Chavis can fake playing 2B, also assuming the Mets have a need at 2B, why would the Red Sox part with Chavis then, when they too have a need at 2B??
Chavis’s value to the Red Sox roster right now comes in his positional versatility in addition to his developing right-handed power bat. He has played 1B, 2B, 3B, and LF for the team. He has been ousted at 3rd by Devers, who has developed into an everyday player and will not get run at 1st given how Bobby Dalbec hit the ball last year as a right-handed bat.
His 2 probable positions this year were 2nd and LF. The signing of Hunter Renfroe takes away from his value to be a right-handed corner outfielder, leaving him at second (not his natural position) to compete with Christian Arroyo, who also is right-handed, is a former first-round pick, has infield versatility, but was also in Tampa with Chaim Bloom before he was claimed by Boston in August. Arroyo also outplayed Chavis down the stretch.
With their signing of Renfroe, the pursuit of a left-handed 2nd baseman (maybe Kolten Wong), and the possible late-season call up of Jeter Downs eating into 2nd base time, Chavis is going to struggle to find a spot on this team unless he can develop his bat into what he has been projected to be.
They like Chavis and his personality but is possible that the new Red Sox management would rather get a younger prospect to develop for longer than try to develop Chavis in the short term when they like other players more. It doesn’t mean he is a bad player who can’t develop, but it’s possible he doesn’t fit the direction of new management and they don’t have the resources to properly develop him.
If that is the case, then they would rather get value through a trade for a young prospect, which has been the M.O. from the Chaim Bloom era thus far as they are building for the future.
If he is available, then I think he could be a good fit with a team like the Mets because of the Jared Porter connection (was on the staff that drafted Chavis). In addition to that, his upside as a team-controlled, right-handed utility infielder/corner outfielder with pop and minor-league options could be interesting for a team that is left-hand dominant at those positions and trying to compete for a championship during the period under which he is controlled.
The Red Sox will likely sign a free agent second baseman, which would move Arroyo to the utility infielder. Chavis has a nice personality, but does not play any of the positions very well defensively (2B, LF, 3B). There is no room on the roster for a poor defensive player who strikes out way too much. He will be included in some trade likely for pitching.
Pretty much what I’m thinking. In lieu of the signing, he looks to be more available. I’m suggesting that the Mets might be a good trading partner given the connection and current team direction. You could argue however that his upside is a pretty similar player to JD Davis.
but look luis gilmore is not gonna be good enough to produce at the same rate they need him to. but there is the thought that chavis is not much better
Heck, he could hit forty homers w the green monster! And maybe strike out two hundred times. Good pickup–his power will play well there, and he is an excellent defender.
what about dee gordon he is better than both of them just sign him and get some speed
Gordon’s not been good for 3 years and speed is overrated.
dude gordon can play a solid 2nd base better than gilmore and chavis
Yea, better defender
i also cant trust chavis not to dope he has gotten suspended for that
Gordon hasn’t been an average defensive 2B since 2017. He’s had .2 fWAR over his last 291 games played. I’m pretty sure all teams would rather save the money that they could give to a replacement level player and give the job to a prospect.
who wants to talk about justin verlander and kate upton i no longer like him now
If the Bosox use Renfroe solely vs. LHP, I could see him hitting .250 with 20+ HR in about 300 or so at bats. He’s not totally useless vs. same side pitching, but Renfroe isn’t someone you want in the line up on an everyday basis. There are better uses for those other 350 at bats. Still, if he produces the above mentioned numbers as a part-timer, that’s a fair return for the $3 million he’ll earn in 2021.
At Fenway in 2020, the Red Sox faced 11 left-handed starters and 20 right-handed ones. In 2019, they faced 25 left-handed starters and 56 right-handed ones. Given Renfroe’s .216/.268/.449 slashline against RHP, I’m not sure see him as a full-timer and given that the tendency (s.s.s.) is for opponents only using left-handers as starters at Fenway about one-third of the time, that is even more reason to question him being a full-time player.
Lou – I agree totally! The Red Sox have been BAD against left handed pitching for what….3 or 4 years. Why not go get someone who can hit left handed pitchers….
MASSLIVE:
“Boston Red Sox sign Hunter Renfroe to one-year contract; outfielder has .912 career OPS vs. left-handed pitchers”
Reading all the other posts (except yours), it seems like everyone is reacting as if Renfro will be playing every day batting cleanup. It should be obvious that he will not be an everyday player just as Moreland was not an everyday player last year
MASSLIVE:
“The Red Sox already have two left-handed hitting outfielders, Andrew Benintendi and Alex Verdugo, and so Renfroe is a nice complement.
“I think we still have room to add (in the outfield),” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said.”
Exactly Lou.
If Renfroe is playing everyday, or hitting anywhere higher than 7th in the order, you’re a sub-.500 team…..
OTOH, as that 7th place hitter who plays 3-4 times a week, AND you have the money the Red Sox have, it’s not a bad sign. As for Dahl, why would you ANOTHER LH hitting OFer who knida-sorta can play any OF position; you already have 2 of those (Bene and Verdugo).
May not be the best signing. Certainly isn’t Springer by any means but Renfroe will hit some bombs in Fenway
Since Renfroe had 2 years of arbitration eligibility left, does that mean he isn’t FA in 2022, but only arbitration eligible?
Correct.
After this deal expires he reverts to arb eligible. This contract effectively replaces one arb year, just like as if they had controlled him and reached an agreement before the arb hearing.
I like the signing. Low risk deal. Guys like this sometimes turn their careers around with the monster giving doubles instead of pop fly outs. Guys got legit power, not the last deal we see in the outfield.
No one knows how 2021 will shake out. Bloom is committed to a long term development to keep this team competitive every year. That said,1year contracts will be the best short term strategy. Probably not inclined to sign guys with a QO attached. No idea what they will receive from Sale or Erod. Stock Worcester with depth and keep commitments short term. Can always add b4 trade deadline. Who knows what kind of financial restraints tie Bloom’s hands.
I was thinking he would’ve been good for the Cardinals
MASSLIVE:
“ We know that our other EVERYDAY outfielders are left-handed. So he adds some balance to our outfield.”
The Red Sox already have two left-handed hitting outfielders, Andrew Benintendi and Alex Verdugo, and so Renfroe is a nice complement. He has a .258 batting average, .339 on-base percentage, .573 slugging percentage, .912 OPS, 36 homers, 24 doubles and two triples in 495 career plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.”
Ok, hopefully I’m wrong! But all this talk from Bloom about how well Renfroe hit against Boston this year. Hellooo! Boston’s pitching in 2020 was like the worst ever in the history of Baseball. He was hitting against BP pitchers much of the time.
Interesting that in the press conference that Bloom said that Renfroe would be and everyday outfielder, “getting him 500 ABs”, and that Verdugo was being moved to CF full time to make room for him.
That brings up two things for me. 1, JBJ is not coming back. 2, the Sox are not looking for big name FA to fill the holes.
Renfroe is a plus defensive RF and Verdugo is about league average in CF. Wondering how much the Red Sox defense got worse if any?
If he gets 500 AB, will Renfroe hit 30 HR? Nearly all his HR are LF or CF. fangraphs.com/players/hunter-renfroe/15464/spray-c…
Will he hit over .200 with regular playing time or was what he hit in Tampa his new level? All in all an interesting signing.
MASSLIVE:
“Though he had a down year (.156, .645 OPS and eight homers) in 2020, he still pounded lefties, hitting .294 with five homers and an .806 OPS”
Listen to the press conference. It was informative.
He would get about 500 ABs a year when he played in SD and hit over .200 in all of those years for what its worth. He also had HR totals of 26, 26, and 33 respectively. I think thats more on par with who he is than the small sample size.
The issue with him isn’t really the batting average so much as his incredibly low OBP. He strikes out a ton and almost never walks. If he has an OBP of .300, thats a very good year for him, and thats kind of hard to work with even when he’s hitting 30 HRs, because it means that he really needs to slug over like .475 to have positive offensive output.
If they’re going to play him everyday in RF I kind of worry about his offensive output. You’re probably looking at something similar to 2019 when he was 216/.289/489. He would really do best as part of a platoon situation because he absolutely mashes LHP.
I agree. He is a perfect example of the HR or nothing hitter. That was why I found it interesting that Bloom said that they were looking for him to get 500 AB and that he was going to be an everyday outfielder.
Link? If you can quote it, you can link it.
JBJ was a long shot unless he took a very team friendly deal to return, And big names only mean big contracts. While I’m sure most people wanted Springer or Ozuna if money is going to be tight and those players were going to be in the $25-30 million per year range then i would rather have the money to fill multiple holes on the roster instead of just one. The Sox need at least one starter (probably two), a Closer (haven’t had one since Kimbrel left), a Second Baseman (Chavis and Arroyo are the only in-house options), and a backup Outfielder. Not saying they will get all of those things but they are in a better position to do so not going all in on a big money player
Rsox – agreed! If the RS sign Springer or Ozuna (as some posting on the site want), then there is no money for pitching, OF, and 2B!!!!
Bloom is not just managing the 40- man roster, but more like the top 60 or so mlb and prospects. In a little or 1 year Bloom has added 13 of the top 37 prospects (per soxprospect.com)!
I agree 100%. The thing I love most about this signing is that it does not prevent us from signing anyone else. We can pick up Hill, Hand (for example), and Wong for 2B, and still have spending money.
GLOBE:
“Since 2017, he ranks 14th in the majors in slugging (.569) and 24th in OPS (.907) against southpaws.”
He referring to Hunter Renfro.
He will likely hit well in that ballpark in a platoon situation
I don’t think he is a candidate for a strict platoon. His OPS in 2018-19 against righties was about .750. That’s passable given he has a glove. And since he figures to hit well at Fenway, whatever platoon he has is probably strictly on the road. I think he is easily a 500-AB player.
I like this signing but not if it’s the only OF addition the Sox make this off-season. I think that Renfroe could really take a step forward next year especially playing half of his games at Fenway now. And with two LH-hitting OF’s already in the mix adding a guy who’s mashed LHP is a nice addition to the outfield mix. He has MASSIVE power and I really think it will even play up further at Fenway. On top of that he’s a very good defensive OF with a cannon of an arm. Really like this signing and am surprised by it — for the most part over the past decade plus the Red Sox have shied away from big time power bats that don’t post high OBP’s and I think this is a good break from that tradition in that I really think the upside is significant and the risk is minimal on a 1-year deal for just $3M — on top of that… Should he have a good season he’s also still arbitration eligible so they will have the flexibility of keeping him around for the foreseeable future at an affordable rate. Solid move by Bloom — just hope that they also add an additional OF, be it an actual starter or another very solid platoon guy.
Well said
Well said. I love this move. I really wanted him from SD before they made the TB trade.
Hit a $1.56 get $3.1 million.
Fred so did Ted Williams hit $4.06 in 1946??
I love how a Boston trade turned into a Mets discussion. Pathetic
After reading Boston’s take on Hunter Renfrew I have to laugh, Cora saying Renfrew is suited to Fenway, at this stage anyone who can find is way to the outfield is suited for Fenway. Boston is very likely going to lose Bradley, Martinez is a hitter but a below average fielder, which basically leaves Benedenti.
They go on about how Renfrew hit two HR at Fenway in one game. Which he did however Boston lost that game after giving up 17 runs. Boston’s pitching last season was so bad, little leaguers would have hit HR.
I hope Renfrew works out but he had a disasterous season in Tampa, and it cost Tampa a lot to get him only to outright release him at the end of season