Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Rob Refsnyder

Year	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	wRC+
2021	.304	.391	.393	.783	123
2022	.359	.411	.594	1.005	177
2023	.308	.428	.400	.828	135
2024	.302	.393	.548	.941	161
2025	.302	.399	.560	.959	159

So, why isn’t this guy a perennial All-Star? Well, unfortunately for Refsnyder, baseball involves more than just mashing lefties.

In the same five-year span, his 83 wRC+ against righties puts him in the bottom 20% of big league hitters. His -8 DRS, -7 FRV, and -7.2 DRP in 1831.1 outfield innings are just as poor. And while he reaches base at a well-above-average rate, he’s no particular threat once he gets there. His baserunning has been mediocre according to every major metric. His sprint speed, which was never very impressive, fell into the bottom third of the league in 2025.

So, Refsnyder is only a role player, albeit one who’s been really, really good at the role he plays. That, combined with the fact that he’s going on 35, will limit him to a one-year, seven-figure contract. But, as long as he keeps mashing lefties like he has the last five years, the team that signs him is going to be very happy with its decision.

Free Agent Profile: Rob Refsnyder

• Age in 2026: 35
• 2025 Stats: 70 games, 209 PA, 9 HR, 30 RBI, .269/.354/.484, 128 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR
• 2025 Salary: $2.1 million
• Qualifying Offer Eligible: Yes

Contract Projection

• Contract Length Expectation: 1 year
• Expected AAV: $3-5 million

Refsnyder has made it clear he plans to play in 2026. So, which teams need to improve against left-handed pitching and have a spot on the bench to spare? Let’s take a look at some possibilities.

Free Agent Landing Spots for Rob Refsnyder

Boston Red Sox

Let’s start with the most obvious fit. The Red Sox signed Refsnyder to a minor league contract before the 2022 season. They retained him via arbitration in 2023 and signed him to an extension that summer, keeping him in Boston through 2025.

There’s clearly mutual admiration here. The Red Sox were the team that took a chance on a 30-year-old Refsnyder, despite his struggles in his first six big league seasons. In return, he gave them a .312/.407/.516 slash line in 501 PA against left-handed pitching.

Last month, The Boston Globe‘s Alex Speier reported that Refnsyder and the Red Sox had already engaged in “informal talks” about his “possible return” in 2026.

On the one hand, Refnsyder might find more playing time elsewhere, given Boston’s crowded outfield picture. On the other hand, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida all bat left-handed, so a righty bat like Refsnyder might still have a critical role to play for the Red Sox.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have lost several key pieces of their lineup to free agency, including righty batter Eugenio Suárez and switch-hitter Jorge Polanco.

So, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto needs to add back some offensive impact from the right-hand side. Considering his (lack of a) track record when it comes to signing big bats in free agency, someone like Refsnyder might be a more realistic possibility than a bigger name who will command a longer deal.

Refsnyder could platoon with lefty bats Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone, both of whom are currently pencilled into Seattle’s starting lineup. He could also steal right field playing time from fellow righty batty Victor Robles if Robles continues to hit as badly as he did upon his return from a dislocated shoulder in 2025.

Cincinnati Reds

The names Austin Hays and Miguel Andujar don’t carry the same weight as Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco, but they were nearly as important to the Reds last year as Suárez and Polanco were to the Mariners.

The two combined to hit .331 with a 155 wRC+ in 150 PA against left-handed pitching. Now, Cincinnati still ranked fifth-last in wRC+ against southpaws, but they might have finished at the very bottom if it weren’t for Hays and Andujar. Their production will need to be replaced.

Moreover, if Gavin Lux isn’t traded or non-tendered, he’s going to need a platoon partner, and that could be Refsnyder.

POBO Nick Krall recently said the Reds will run a similar payroll in 2026 to what they had in 2025. According to the estimates from RosterResource, that would give Krall about $22 million to work with. That’s enough to sign a bigger name than Refsnyder, but if Cincinnati’s biggest upgrade isn’t a righty-batting corner outfielder/DH, a cheaper piece like Refsnyder could be the perfect supplementary addition.

San Francisco Giants

The case for the Giants is simple, and it’s very similar to the cases I’m going to lay out next for the Royals and Guardians. The Giants were awful against left-handed pitching in 2025. Awful. Dead last in batting average. Dead last in OBP. Second-last in slugging.

Thankfully, they have room to improve. Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos have two outfield spots locked down, but the Giants don’t have an incumbent in right field or at DH. Refsnyder could help to fill both of those roles.

Kansas City Royals

No team hit for less power against left-handed pitching than the Royals last season. Their 27 home runs and .120 isolated power both ranked last among all 30 teams.

Refsnyder isn’t exactly a slugger, but his .191 ISO against lefties over the last five years is well above league average. Only two Kansas City batters, Maikel Garcia and Jac Caglianone, had a higher ISO facing southpaws in 2025 (min. 50 PA).

As for where Refsnyder could play? I’m not sure there’s anyone on the Royals’ roster right now who’s guaranteed everyday playing time in an outfield spot or at DH. And of the players likely to factor into the mix, many are lefty batters who the Royals might prefer to shield from same-handed pitching.

Cleveland Guardians

Of the 20 Guardians batters to face a left-handed pitcher in 2025, only four gave the team above-average production: José Ramírez (duh), Angel Martínez, Johnathan Rodríguez, and Petey Halpin (who went 1-for-1 in his lone left-on-left at-bat).

So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Guardians ranked last in the AL in OPS against southpaws, while they finished second-to-last (ahead of only the Royals) in wRC+.

Cleveland’s projected starting lineup right now is overwhelmingly left-handed, and it’s not clear who’s going to get the bulk of this team’s reps in right field or at DH. So, the Guardians could desperately use a corner outfielder who can hit from the right-hand side, and Refsnyder would certainly be an upgrade over Martínez or Rodríguez.