Red Sox Sign Outfielder Hunter Renfroe To One-Year Contract
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox have signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal, the team announced Monday. That could signify the end of Jackie Bradley Jr.'s playing days in Boston.
Signing Renfroe -- who will make a base salary of $3.1 million, according to The Boston Globe's Alex Speier -- brings the Boston 40-man roster to 40. The team could still free up a roster spot to fit in a return for Bradley Jr., which Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom alluded to Monday afternoon.
But Bradley Jr. has several teams vying for his services on the free agent market, and it seems as though he will be playing elsewhere next season.
As for the 28-year-old Renfroe, he played for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, hitting .156 (19-for-122) with eight home runs. He made 32 starts in right field, one at first base, and one at designated hitter for Tampa Bay. In 12 postseason games for the American League champions, Renfroe went 4-for-23 (.174) with two homers and a double.
Renfroe was initially drafted by San Diego with the No. 13 overall pick in 2013 and played four seasons with the Padres. He had a solid three-year stretch from 2017-2019, averaging 28 homers, 63 RBIs and 56 runs scored over those three seasons. His best season as a pro came in 2018 when Renfroe slashed a career-best .248/.302/.504 with 26 homers, 23 doubles and 68 RBIs. He mashed a career-high 33 homers in 2019, but hit just .216 at the plate.
"He has the upside to be more than a platoon player," Bloom said of Renfroe. "He can be an everyday player."
Renfroe was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award in right field in 2019, recording 13 outfield assists -- tied with Bryce Harper for the most in the NL. That season, his 23 defensive runs saved tied Cody Bellinger for second-most among major league outfielders.
Boston now has Renfroe, Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez, Alex Verdugo, Jeisson Rosario, and Marcus Wilson on its outfield depth chart.
