Position fights are still going on as the Boston Red Sox are just a few weeks away from finalizing their 26-man Opening Day roster.
The outfield, which includes Masataka Yoshida (though he’ll largely be the designated hitter), Tyler O’Neill, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder, and maybe Ceddanne Rafaela if he breaks camp with Boston, is the position group with the greatest depth on the roster.
It’s unlikely that the Red Sox will carry six outfielders, which might lead to some drama in the days ahead.
To increase his chances of getting a berth or playing time, the player with the longest stay among the bunch has recently been working on positional versatility.
To become a more flexible piece for the bench, Alex Cora stated that Refsnyder is also working out at first base, as Ian Browne of MLB.com reported on Wednesday.
Refsnyder’s sole purpose for being here is to dominate left-handed pitching. With a.308/.428/.400 slash line versus southpaws from the previous season, he is a good fit for a bench position in an offense that leans heavily on lefties.
In 146 games over his two seasons with the Red Sox, the 32-year-old has hit.273 with 28 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, 49 RBIs, and a.768 OPS (111 OPS+).
He’ll be able to be employed more exclusively against left-handed pitching because of the increased outfield depth compared to previous years, which should increase his effectiveness.
In an effort to increase the team’s versatility, Refsynder, who entered the major leagues as a utility player and second baseman, will now try to expand his skill set to include first base.
Despite not playing first base since 2020, Refsynder has made 36 career appearances totaling 227 innings at the position.
The addition will help Boston’s bench, which is led by rising sensation Triston Casas. Following the departure of Justin Turner, Bobby Dalbec and recently acquired C.J.
Cron on a minor league contract, or Refsnyder or Pablo Reyes standing in when called upon.
It’s likely that Cron will eventually assume leadership of the position, but in the interim, it’s encouraging to see Refsnyder find another method to benefit the club.
Refsnyder’s sole purpose for being here is to dominate left-handed pitching. With a.308/.428/.400 slash line versus southpaws from the previous season, he is a good fit for a bench position in an offense that leans heavily on lefties.
In 146 games over his two seasons with the Red Sox, the 32-year-old has hit.273 with 28 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, 49 RBIs, and a.768 OPS (111 OPS+).
He’ll be able to be employed more exclusively against left-handed pitching because of the increased outfield depth compared to previous years, which should increase his effectiveness.
It’s likely that Cron will eventually assume leadership of the position, but in the interim, it’s encouraging to see Refsnyder find another method to benefit the club.
In an effort to increase the team’s versatility, Refsynder, who entered the major leagues as a utility player and second baseman, will now try to expand his skill set to include first base.
Despite not playing first base since 2020, Refsynder has made 36 career appearances totaling 227 innings at the position.
The addition will help Boston’s bench, which is led by rising sensation Triston Casas. After Justin Turner left, the only options for first base are Bobby Dalbec, C.J. Cron, who was recently signed to a minor league contract, or Refsnyder or Pablo Reyes, who can step in when necessary.
