Red Sox Sign Hunter Renfroe To A One-Year Deal

Mike Ehrmann. Getty Images.

While Mets fans are enjoying their magical offseason of waiting for multiple big-name free agent signings, Red Sox fans have been sitting around wondering if their team will do anything to have a somewhat competitive club in 2021. Well, today they signed Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal. That's something.

On the surface, it's not an addition that's going to blow your socks off or have you headed to buy a new jersey or anything, but one thing is for certain -- Renfroe hits bombs. The man has pop. And he hits from the right side as an outfielder, which was an area of need for Boston this winter. Last season, Renfroe didn't exactly set the world on fire at the plate, hitting .156 with a .645 OPS, 8 homers, 5 doubles and 22 RBI in 139 plate appearances. However, from 2017 through 2019 with the Padres, the soon to be 29-year-old hit .231 with a .777 OPS, averaging 28 homers, 22 doubles and 63 RBI. That helps. The strikeouts don't exactly help, but.

Does this mean the door is now closed for a Jackie Bradley Jr. reunion? No. I don't think it's related at all, actually. Not that Renfroe plays center anyway, but the Red Sox could always put him in a corner outfield spot and move either Andrew Benintendi or Alex Verdugo to center. Defensive statistics don't love Benintendi and Verdugo played a fine right field for Boston last year, which is no small task. Ideally, I'd like to keep those two guys at the corners and have an actual centerfielder out there with Renfroe seeing a lot of time in the lineup against left-handed pitching with Benintendi and Verdugo both being left-handed hitters.

Renfroe has spent most of his big league career playing the corner outfield positions and will likely fill the void that was left when the Red Sox traded Kevin Pillar to the Rockies last summer. Not that I think Bradley is coming back -- I don't -- but I still think the Red Sox would be wise to bring him back. That, and adding Renfroe doesn't mean that there's now no longer a spot on the 2021 team for Bradley to return. We'll see what happens there, but I wouldn't say I'm very optimistic.

Regardless, Renfroe's power from the right side is a very welcomed addition to the offense. Now, go sign some starting pitching for the love of God.