When Rob Refsnyder first arrived in Boston as a minor league free agent forward of the 2022 season, the journeyman outfielder was uncertain about his future within the recreation and was contemplating retirement.
Now the 32-year-old’s future in Boston is secured.
The Red Sox introduced Saturday they’ve signed Refsnyder to a one-year contract extension via 2024 with a membership possibility for 2025. Refsnyder will make $1.85 million in 2024 and $2 million ought to the membership decide up his 2025 possibility, and he could have a chance to earn efficiency bonuses and escalators as effectively.
Since his arrival in Boston, Refsnyder has emerged as a dependable and productive right-handed bat off the bench. Entering Saturday he was batting .284 with one house run and 17 RBI in 33 video games, and he’s been an absolute menace towards lefties, batting .365 with a .949 OPS thus far this season.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom additionally praised Refsnyder for his consistency, focus and contributions behind the scenes, all of which have been causes the membership felt comfy providing him the extension.
“The body of work since he put on our uniform just speaks for itself,” Bloom mentioned. “Not everyone is able to show that consistency even when the playing time is inconsistent. It’s easy to take for granted and we shouldn’t.”
A fifth-round draft decide of the New York Yankees in 2012, Refsnyder made his MLB debut at Fenway Park in 2015 and spent many of the subsequent seven years scratching and clawing to remain within the massive leagues. By the time he got here to Boston the Red Sox have been his sixth massive league workforce, and at that time he had already spent vital time bouncing backwards and forwards from the minor leagues.
“I’ve had this game almost taken from me a couple of times based on performance and I sit here very grateful, very humbled, thankful,” Refsnyder mentioned. “I get to play in the greatest baseball city and the greatest ballpark, and I definitely don’t lose sight of that.”
Refsnyder mentioned that when he didn’t make the Red Sox massive league roster out of spring coaching in 2022 he started considering a shift to a entrance workplace function. By that time he’d began a household and wasn’t positive he wished to maintain forcing them to maneuver round, however the second that modified his profession was a hitting lesson he had with Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse in the direction of the top of camp.
“I’m very thankful that I wasn’t stubborn and went home and decided to work with him, because that hitting lesson alone really changed the trajectory of my career and my swing path, my game and the things that I’m comfortable doing,” Refsynder mentioned. “A lot of credit goes to Fatse.”
Refsnyder finally earned a call-up and shortly established himself as one in every of Boston’s best gamers. That efficiency helped earn him a $1.2 million massive league deal for 2023, and Bloom mentioned they started discussing the potential of an extension way back to spring coaching.
Those talks got here to fruition this week, and Refsnyder mentioned getting the possibility to proceed his profession in Boston after every part he’s been via is especially particular.
“Something I’ll definitely celebrate with my wife, hopefully here on an off day hopefully our babysitter is available and we can get a glass of wine and reminisce on some of those highs and lows,” he mentioned.
Chang could resume rehab task
Infielder Yu Chang (left hamate fracture) could resume his rehab task as quickly as this Tuesday in Worcester, Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned Saturday.
Chang, who has been out since April 24 after breaking a bone in his hand swinging the bat, initially started his rehab task on May 26 however was pulled again after experiencing soreness throughout his outing with the Portland Sea Dogs. Prior to his damage Chang was settling in as a wonderful defensive presence at shortstop, and given Kiké Hernández’s current struggles his absence has been sorely felt.
In different damage information: Christian Arroyo (proper hamstring pressure) flew again to Boston on Saturday and the membership plans to debate his subsequent steps upon his return. John Schreiber (proper teres main pressure) has not but begun throwing however could begin enjoying catch Sunday or Monday. Trevor Story (proper elbow rehab) remains to be hitting and throwing in Fort Myers and will rejoin the membership for a couple of days after the upcoming street journey to verify in.
Alfaro launched, Gomez promoted
The Red Sox have granted catcher Jorge Alfaro his launch after the veteran exercised a June 1 opt-out in his contract, the membership introduced on Saturday.
In addition, Rio Gomez, son of the late ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez, has been promoted to Triple-A Worcester.
Alfaro, who has spent the season in Triple-A thus far after competing for an enormous league catching job within the spring, was main the WooSox in batting with a .320 common and 56 hits to associate with six house runs, 13 doubles and 30 RBI in 43 video games. The veteran of seven massive league seasons will now have a chance to signal with one other group and presumably get an opportunity to play within the majors once more.
Gomez, a 28-year-old left-handed pitcher, was a 2017 Thirty sixth-round pick of the University of Arizona and is now in his seventh yr with the Red Sox group. He has posted a 5.18 ERA in 60 video games at Double-A since 2021 and earlier this yr he took half within the World Baseball Classic as a part of Team Colombia.
Source: www.bostonherald.com